The Cascade Vol. 21 No. 32 by The Cascade

November 27, 2013 to January 7, 2014

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Vol. 21 Issue 32

NEWS News

Opinion

Arts & Life

Sports & Health

Upcoming

Events

Nov 28 AfterMath ‘Stache Bash The last great hurrah before shaving the starved caterpillar off your upper lip, AfterMath hosts the ‘Stache Bash. Celebrate your face fur together – oh, and also the fight against prostate cancer. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. and food is served until 10:00 p.m.

Nov 29 Casino Royale Hosted by the BCSA, CISSA, and PSA, the evening is sure to be filled with fun, food and fake gambling. Bring a can of food to donate and receive extra gambling credit. You can play until you’re out, but there is fun to be had even for those unlucky at cards. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. Tickets are $10 and must be pre-purchased.

Nov 30 Book launch at CICS Come celebrate the launch of A Soldier Remembers at UFV’s Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies. Based on the memoirs of Pritam Singh Jauhal, the story deals with the struggles and accomplishments of an immigrant Sikh-Canadian. Event kicks off at 11:00 a.m. in U-House.

Dec 4 ESA is back from the dead Following their 5:00 p.m. AGM, the newly re-established English Students Association will be hosting an open mic night at AfterMath. It promises to be filled with literary puns, trivia, displays of creativity, and the grand announcement of the 2014 writer-inresidence. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. There will be door prizes!

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

Angel tree bears gifts

UFV’s Angel Tree program is back for another season of giving. Katherine Gibson has the details on how the program helps to provide Christmas to young UFV families in need and bring a merry Christmas to children.

Division between disciplines gets viscious

Science majors scoff at English majors who scorn the “cold and calculating” mathematicians. We need to realize that as much as we like to define ourselves by our majors, the interconnectivity between disciplines is more pronounced than we think.

May the odds be in ever your favour... again

The long-awaited Hunger Games sequel, Catching Fire took to the big screens this past weekend. The theatres were packed, and the plot was alive with murder, romance, and Jennifer Lawrence’s talent.

Lessons in latex

There have been a rash of condom sightings in UFV bathrooms recently, and The Cascade’s Christopher DeMarcus weighs in on what it means (and why it’s rather unfortunate).

What happens after we raise awareness? MICHAEL SCOULAR

THE CASCADE

Movember’s platform (furthering awareness, tests, and funding for research related to prostate cancer and, more vaguely, “men’s health issues”) isn’t a problem. But despite its recent inception (2006), there’s a visible slippage in purpose, a disconnect between the words used to promote the month and what actually happens as a result. While a blanket assumption that Movember is superficial would be incorrect, for the most part the organization of efforts recognizes ordinary facial hair, made super with meaning as an advertisement for “Movember.” It’s a name that doesn’t suggest anything to do with cancer research to those who don’t care to look, the health and death side of things comfortably secondary. The cause does raise money, and it’s mentioned whenever television news runs a higher-profile segment—usually either a soft human interest piece or something to do with the military or NHL—but it’s an already-reduced part of the campaign, when that part is one that should be the most prominent and the most critically examined. A similar situation can be found in breast cancer causes, which are most prominent during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. A couple of years ago, Québécois filmmaker Léa Pool’s National Film Boardproduced Pink Ribbons, Inc. briefly made the rounds as an exposé of how little advancement actually comes out of the endless talk, fundraising, and charity marathons that are now a fixture of the cause. Pool and her interview subVolume 21 · Issue 32 Room C1027 33844 King Road Abbotsford, BC V2S 7M8 604.854.4529 Editor-in-chief dessa@ufvcascade.ca Dessa Bayrock Managing editor michael@ufvcascade.ca Michael Scoular Business manager joe@ufvcascade.ca Joe Johnson

Image: Roxie Rampage / Flickr

What are the real repercussions of awareness campaigns? jects focus on the word “research,” which, in a way, also draws attention to the inadequacy of most of our forms of taking in information, including the documentary. While you’re more likely to hear someone recommending a documentary (with all the slant implicit in that) than a news segment, right now the field of documentaries is flooded with middling or just not very good works. Pink Ribbons, Inc. is no exception, in that while it contains a fair amount of useful information (which its status as a movie helps share more widely) it isn’t very good as a 90-minute documentary, devoting almost half an hour to slow motion footage of pinkshirted smiling “run for the cure” type events scored to horror-esque drone. The best points made by speakers from various activist groups or research centres dur-

ing the rest of the running time actually point in the opposite direction. You can’t get people to listen by telling them they’re devoting their heart and time to something useless, feeding a corporate and pharmaceutical machine that counts on the existence of disease, sentimental opportunities for public relations, and customer goodwill. Accusation is just another marketing tactic. The only good work that can be accomplished by criticism is by bringing the focus back to what these events originally pledge to do: original research that will further understanding. What comes up over the course of Pink Ribbons, Inc. is that the word “research” doesn’t exclude what is often the outcome of all the seven-figure donations: poor research. The list goes on: research that doesn’t take into account international stud-

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 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

Production assistant production@ufvcascade.ca Kaitlyn Gendemann Photojournalist blake@ufvcascade.ca Blake McGuire Contributors Vivienne Beard, Taylor Breckles, Jeremy Hannaford, Nathan Hutton, Nick Ubels, and Tim Ubels Cover image: Anthony Biondi

Editor’s note: your favourite godparent since 1993. Crowdsourcing our attitudes since 1993. No soup for you since 1993.

ies, overlapping or redundant research, and ultimately research that hasn’t changed the way cancer is dealt with since the push for awareness began decades ago. Multiple activists point out the concept, alien to corporations, of how throwing money at a problem is not necessarily going to lead to a solution. But the idea is still important: where money is donated is not always the best place for it, and research isn’t always looking in the right areas. The documentary itself isn’t exempt from this: it looks like research, has been researched, but is essentially another tool of awareness. And once it’s over, many documentary makers move on to another subject. Movember ends, and no one cares about cancer (if they did in the first place) until next year. A more charitable view would say an end poses a question to an audience that must be answered, but it’s very easy to do the same without knowing anything about the subject – reporters do this all the time: “Where do Movember funds end up, and are they really helping? I don’t know, but I’ll offer up an unrelated sidebar for three minutes. Cue establishing shot of nondescript health facility.” Asking for agreement is what both sides essentially demand, in a passive and/or fun reinforcing way, but what both propose and are unable to follow through on is reading ahead of the list of what everyone is already doing. What Movember is unlikely to use in any of its marketing materials is: how soon do you want Movember to become obsolete?

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.

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

24th annual Abbotsford Christmas tree lighting kicks off another holiday season CHRISTOPHER DEMARCUS

THE CASCADE

Mayor Bruce Banman warmed up the crowd with his musical voice at the 24th annual Christmas Tree Lighting in Abbotsford. Backed up by a band of local musicians, the mayor sang Christmas classics and urged the crowd of thousands to “come back and shop downtown” once the festivities were over. Booths from local candy shops, craft stores, and realestate agents lined the streets, handing out free popcorn and hot chocolate. The band sang, “Oh, my Lord is gonna come,” then asked the kids in the crowd if they were “waiting for Santa?” Children danced in the streets to the familiar Christmas tunes while excited parents jostled them closer to the tree, anxious for the big countdown. The red-tailed and plush Hawkey (mascot for the Abbotsford Heat) chased after his animated and chubby-faced pal Bucky (mascot for Fraser Valley RV). Smiling kids followed the plush couple, screaming for Hawkey and Bucky to wrestle on stage.

Image: Christopher DeMarcus

Downtown Abbotsford’s Christmas tree starts the holiday season. “I’ve been working all day at [Legal Grounds]. It’s been super busy, but my daughter got to light the tree,” Heather Elrick said. Her daughter Isabella was chosen to light up the tree five minutes before 5 p.m. A crowd of thousands oohed and ahhhed under the glow of

new lights and decorations. “It’s great to see so many people out as part of the community. We’ve been coming to this for years,” said Larry, an Abbotsford resident who preferred not to give his last name. “Today there’s no rain, and it’s not too cold – this is

the most people we’ve seen in a long time.” His sentiment was genuine, he looked with joyous surprise at the hundreds of strollers that wheeled past, pushed by eager parents filled with holiday spirit. Business was the other theme of the evening as a real-estate agent addressed the crowd. “We’re so excited to be a part of this great event,” the agent’s voice boomed through the PA, reminding the crowd again to come back tomorrow for holiday shopping. Despite the larger-thanusual crowd, not everyone was into the festivities. “It’s all a little early. It’s not even December yet,” said Greg Unger. “I’m going home to watch the game.” Unger was there for his kids to see Mr and Mrs Claus, but left before the epic countdown. Twenty minutes after the tree was lit, the large crowd had dispersed. Work crews packed up the booths while merchants locked their cash boxes. With the decorated Christmas tree lighting up downtown Abbotsford, the holiday season has officially begun.

Embracing the season of giving

Angel Tree brings Christmas gifts to UFV students and their families

Campus

Exam season is upon us It doesn’t matter if you’re in business, science, English or anything in between – we all know what the next few weeks look like. So study hard, relax when you can and don’t leave papers until the night before (even though we know you will). If you need a little help to get you through, remember that Mac the therapy dog is still on campus to help you de-stress before exams.

What’s in a play? The Cascade will be following UFV Theatre’s third show this season – Romeo and Juliet. While actors perfect their craft and designers pour their heart onto the stage we will discover what exactly goes into a theatre production. Directed by combat extraordinaire Paul Gélineau, Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers grace UFV’s stage for the third time this March.

Less funding, more cuts

KATHERINE GIBSON

campus nature of UFV, Student Life auxiliary programmer Rachel Knudsen believes Every Christmas morning, it is the general understanding kids amped up on candy canes of the financial stresses that and anticipation wake up ea- students face, as well as the ger to rip open newly wrapped generosity of faculty and stupresents. dents that makes this program But not every family can a success. afford to put presents under “All students struggle finantheir trees, especially when cially … now imagine having they are also university stu- three kids, and what it’s like dents. to be a kid and not have much Enter Student Life’s Angel under the tree on Christmas Tree program. morning,” Knudsen says. “We Geared toward supporting had so much support; the stustudents with legal depen- dents give [and] the faculty dents under the age of 16 dur- give tons … so there’s a lot of ing the holiday season, this generosity … it makes a really program works to ensure that big difference.” these students have presents Ashley Klaassen, another for their children come Christ- Angel Tree co-ordinator, notes mas morning. that Angle tree encourages a “It’s to help sense of cama“All students raderie among students with children who struggle financial- UFV students have unmet fithat adds to the ly... now imagine success of this nancial need,” explains Angel having three kids program on Tree co-ordinator and what it’s lke campus. Alicia Turner. “We need to to be a kid and not support “It’s to provide each at least one gift have much under other. You have under the tree on the tree on Christ- friends that you Christmas morngo to classes mas morning. ” ing for kids who with and when may not otheryou have trouwise have something to open.” ble studying for exams – well, Approximately 50 to 75 UFV you group together and you students take advantage of this get each other through it. I program. And although get- think that’s what it’s about,” ting the word out is sometimes she explains. “Community hindered by the commuter- is the foundation of this pro-

Keeping up on

THE CASCADE

Whether or not you remember, the government decided to cut $50 million from postsecondary education over three years. We are now in year two and UFV is drafting budgets for the 2014 fiscal year. We saw the beginning of these cuts in 2013 with the downsizing of faculty services and the closure of the Mission campus library. What is on the chopping block this year? Will students be affected? We will bring you the details.

Image: Katherine Gibson

Angel Tree program provides a merry Christmas to in-need families. gram.” Klaassen also believes the personalized nature of this program adds strength to Angel Tree on campus and in its ability to connect UFV to the surrounding community. “When people walk through the door, they’re not a registration number; they’re a family that we’re helping. We enjoy helping these families,” she says. “It’s a bridge between [UFV’s] community and the outside community.” Angel Tree gifts will be distributed during two different

campus parties; one on December 3 in Chilliwack, and the other on December 5 in Abbotsford. These parties are open to all students with children, a detail that Turner emphasizes. “If anybody has children, or grandkids, or anyone that they want to bring – everyone is welcome to attend the parties … If you’re a student with children, you’re welcome to attend,” Turner says. “It’s all about helping out [our] fellow students.”

Have a news tip? Let us know! Email news@ufvcascade.ca or tweet at @CascadeNews

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

SCIENCE ON PURPOSE

DESSA BAYROCK

The digital lollipop, the electric tongue-tricker

THE CASCADE

The last 20 years have seen a massive shift from analog to digital in all sorts of areas – from library catalogues, social interaction, and communication to the way music and film are recorded. And according to researchers at the National University of Singapore, our sense of taste might be the next to be digitized. They’ve created a taste simulator, which uses a silver electrode to deliver a specific series of changing temperature and small electric currents to trick the tongue into tasting a specific flavour. The device can successfully simulate tastes that are salty, sweet, sour, or bitter – or any combination. Although this seems like a bit of a novelty item, it looks like it may have useful realworld applications outside of the obligatory now-you-cantaste-your-cooking-shows idea.

Image: Anthony Biondi

The future of virtual taste is in the electric lollipop. Nimesha Ranasinghe presented his team’s research at a conference in Barcelona this fall, and noted several of the possible uses for the device for medical patients in an interview with New Scientist. “People with diabetes might be able to use the taste synthe-

siser to simulate sweet sensations without harming their actual blood sugar levels. Cancer patients could use it to improve or regenerate a diminished sense of taste during chemotherapy,” he said. The device, quickly popularized as “the electric lollipop,”

may also help in the everpopular realm of weight loss. Imagine a smaller version of the device sold as Willy Wonka-esque candies – no calories, no sugars, but all the sweetness and flavour of regular candy. Back on the novelty side of things, it could also be used as

a supplemental feature in video games. “For example, if you complete a game task successfully, or complete a level, we can give a sweet, minty, or sour reward. If you fail we can deliver a bitter message,” Ranasinghe says. The team is also working on a way to eventually transmit different tastes from one device to another, envisioning a future in which we can text tastes to one another in the same way we exchange messages or pictures. There are still some kinks to work out—the team hasn’t quite nailed down the “savoury” flavour profile—and they have yet to announce when any of this research might hit the market in any form. All the same, we might be able soon to pair digital food with digital communication.

EGM delayed, electoral policy back on the table, and finance committee proposed KATHERINE GIBSON

THE CASCADE

The Student Union Society (SUS) was all business with their regular board meeting clocking in at just over 15 minutes. On Friday November 22 SUS board members gathered over an agenda full of general housekeeping motions. VP finance Ryan Peterson chaired the meeting as president Shane Potter was in Ottawa on Canadian Alliance of Student Associations business. Delayed extraordinary general meeting During the meeting, it was proposed that the extraordinary general meeting (EGM) originally planned for November 25 be delayed until the second week of January. Explaining to the board that not enough student awareness was created around the event, VP internal Greg Stickland encouraged the board to postpone the EGM in order to properly inform students about the different motions that will be proposed. “I’ve done some info sessions and posted a few things online, but I do feel that the push has been rather lacklustre, which is understandable. We’re all exhausted,” Stickland said. “So I would like more time to get more info out there and more aid [from the board] as well. Even just opinions on what should go out, how it should go out, what it should look like, [and] what venues it should be on.” When taken to a vote, the board unanimously voted to delay the EGM.

Amended electoral committee oversight policy Stickland also brought forth an amended version of the electoral committee oversight policy. Although previously approved to go to the EGM at the last meeting, Stickland noted that passing this amendment at the board level is important, as it will allow the electoral committee to begin preparing for elections and the chief electoral officer to be chosen in time for the January EGM. “This [policy] was actually passed last week to go to the general meeting … I would like to pass it through the board, mainly because we need to start preparing the electoral committee and the chief electoral officer,” he explained. Stickland went on to clarify what passing this amendment at board level would practically mean for election season and the students who will participate. Specifically addressing the complaints that were made by students last year, in regards to the electoral oversight committee’s role within elections, Stickland explained the changes that are planned. “Currently for elections we have an electoral committee who act as the oversight for all of our elections. They all do five hours a week and they decide things as a committee. They make sure that rules are being followed and they sanction people who they feel have violated the rules,” Stickland said. “We had a number of complaints last year regarding that the committee took too long to come together and make decisions, and that there was no proper channel for appeals. “Within the [old] policy, the

only way to appeal a decision made by electoral committee was to go back to the very same committee,” he continued. “What this [new] policy will do is have a chief electoral officer decided in the same manner as the electoral committee. [The position will be performed by someone] doing quadruple the hours, who will oversee the elections, make sure people are following the rules, [and] make all decisions by themselves.” One concern was raised by rep-at-large Jay Mitchell during the board’s discussion: he pointed out that, at times, the language used within the policy was confusing. “I would like to ensure that all of the language is parallel. The header of 1.0 [is] ‘Formation of the Electoral Oversight,’ and then 1.1 we’re talking about an appeal committee, so I want to make sure that all of those things are linear,” he said. Minor changes to the wording were added and the board unanimously passed the motion.

Ad-hoc finance committee proposed The finance committee proposed the creation of an ad-hoc finance committee to begin in January. As rep-at-large Thomas Davies explained, this ad-hoc committee will be very similar to one that was formed by the finance committee last year. “Last year we had an expressed budget committee comprised of SUS members and external members to create a proposal for the board and at the AGM. The motion at the AGM last year … specifically spoke to setting up some sort of committee for 2013-2014, which we’ve already done,” Davies said. “So what this is doing is formally striking a very similar committee for this year. We will shortly be having an actual policy for this committee, which will be coming up at the next meeting as well.” With no discussion, the motion was carried unanimously by the board.

Child-minding policy updated Davies also spoke to the finance committee’s decision to update all current financial policies. One of these newly updated programs is the childminding policy, which concerns the reimbursement of UFV students who are also parents with children in daycare. It was changed in order to add clarity to the policy. “This [policy] hasn’t had expense updates. [The changes] were mostly clerical. We no longer have a financial planning and fundraiser committee for example, which was still referenced in the policy,” Davies said. “And we clarified when someone is eligible to claim for this, what SUS business qualifies, [and] at what rate they can claim child-care expenses.” After opening the motion up to discussion, the motion was carried unanimously by the board.

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NEWS

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

UFV students head to Parliament Hill CASA brought the concerns of post-secondary students to the federal government. On their first day, CASA delegates had 50 meetings, and from these, eight questions were brought forward during question period. As well, Minister Ed Fast and MPs expressed interest in continuing the conversation at UFV at a later date. CASA asked the following:

Canada Student Loans Program (CSLP):

Image: Dennis Jarvis/ flickr

Two SUS reps recently returned from a CASA conference in Ottawa.

JESS WIND

THE CASCADE

No longer will the voices of students fall on deaf government ears. Student Union Society (SUS) president Shane Potter and VP academic Kristianne Hendricks recently headed east to Ottawa as UFV delegates for the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) to bring the requests of post-secondary students to the doorstep of Canada’s policy makers. “In a period of three days, [CASA delegates] had over 150 meetings with ministers, senators, and other policy makers, asking them to consider the needs of post secondary students,” Hendricks says. Their requests considered the Canada Student Loan program, mental health, international students, and many more issues that affect students across the country. Regarding issues specific to UFV students, Hendricks explains they focused on the exemption of in-study income and single vehicle possession as well as RRSP contributions from the assessment process of loan applications. “[In-study income exemption] pertains most directly to the requests that we are getting from UFV students, particularly those who are working,” she says adding that vehicle RRSP exemption is also important “particularly [for] those mature students returning to school. This [request] would allow mature students to return to school without jeopardizing their retirement.” With elections upcoming in 2015, Hendricks explains that

now is the time to voice concerns for students. She is excited to see post-secondary concerns on the political platforms come election season and notes that there was interest in their meetings with government officials. “After going through this week, I saw first-hand how seriously MPs take us when we meet with them. I saw the power of speaking on behalf of so many students from across the country,” she says. “I heard comments like ‘you are the most respected student lobby group on the hill’.” She notes that changes will not be made overnight or easily, but that CASA came up with creative solutions. “The current government is known for their hesitancy to spend money, so CASA directed many of its [requests] in such a way that spending wouldn’t be required,” Hendricks says. “With [2015] just around the corner, many politicians are going to want to wait to make big changes so that we remember them when it comes time to vote.” A two-way street is necessary for making change. Hendricks explains that the voice of CASA is louder when students get involved and vote, something they are working toward making easier. “CASA is also working on bringing voter stations to our campuses to make it easier for students to vote,” she says. “Elections Canada has listened, and will be running a pilot project at 20 schools across Canada in 2015, though we don’t yet know if UFV will be one of these.”

• Increase the CSLP weekly limit, (not increased since 2004) so that students do not need to turn to private lenders. • Increase the grant portion of the CSLP to match inflation levels. • Fully exempt in-study income from the assessment of assets in the CSLP. • Amend the CSLP borrower assets assessment allowing for $10,000 in personal investments, increasing the allowable RRSP contribution to match the average contribution, and fully exempting the value of a single vehicle from the CSLP assessment. • Amend the CSLP removing parental contributions from the assessment, recognizing that learners are independent from their parents.

Post-Secondary Student Support Program (PSSSP) This program is to support Canada’s Aboriginal Population. • Fund the backlog of students eligible for the program with a one-time investment of $272 million to give these students access to post-secondary education. • Remove the two per cent cap on PSSSP support, and fully support the program. Mental Health • Include a national strategy for mental health aimed at post-secondary students • Work on reducing the stigma of mental health through campaigns on university and college campuses across the country by directing $4.5 million from the Mental Health Commission of Canada funding stream toward post-secondary students.

Tri-Council Representation Include a student voice in decisions regarding the Tri-council (SSHRC, NSERC, and CIHR) research agencies and appoint a student representative to each of these three agencies. Open Educational Resources (OERs) Request that the senate committee on Social Affairs, Science, and Technology undertake a study to explore and provide recommendations on how the federal government can support and promote OERs.

Don’t forget that you, too, can write for The Cascade!

Did you know that contributing looks absolutely smashing on a resume? That we have a variety of positions, so you could get paid for your work? That there is occasionally a kitten in the office? If any of this sounds remotely interesting, get in touch.

We’ll be right here in C1027, or available by email at Dessa@ufvcascde.ca

International Students • Grant all international students multi-entry visas so they have the option to return home during their studies, while improving efficiency of processing study permits. • Grant all international students off-campus work permits to give them the opportunity to gain employment experience and help them fund their higher tuition fees.

We’re hiring a culture editor.

You might be the perfect candidate. We’re looking for someone who loves local events: concerts, museum exhibits, lectures, events, and more. Strong writing skills are necessary, but editing experience isn’t. We’ll train you up if you’re willing to dive in feet-first.

Email Michael@ufvcascade.ca for more information or to submit a resumé and writing sample.

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2013

OPINION

www.ufvcascade.ca

SNAPSHOTS

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

Curtailed commentary on current conditions

Literacy lacking

Trust your professors

Katie Stobbart

Christopher Demarcus

Taylor Breckles

I firmly believe all would-be students should have to take a basic test on spelling, grammar, and punctuation before entering university. To be frank, I’m astonished at the number of students I encounter in their third or fourth year of a program (and most of those I personally meet are English students) who are hard-pressed to put a sentence together, who don’t know how to use a comma, and who are regularly stymied by the task of “putting to and too together,” so to speak. I’m aware that no one is perfect. We all make mistakes. However, when you have been learning how to conjugate verbs and how to differentiate between homophones (I still see people mistake “threw” for “through”) since elementary school, and still can’t figure it out, there’s a problem. University students in any program should be more than just basically literate.

Trust your professors. They’re smarter than you. We’ve pushed so far in our endeavors for human equality that we have forgotten that our teachers are there to teach – to fill a knowledge gap. Instead of trusting our PhD masters, we categorize them in infantile ways. We reduce them to an archetype so our sophomoric little minds can understand. If it’s the simple facts you’re after, then you can Google it or ask your Facebook friends. But the good stuff—the kind of knowledge and wisdom that makes us smile—happens in the best of formats: talking with your professor. We need to stop treating our teachers as oppressors and start listening to them as our mentors. We might disagree with their politics or their ideas, but—more often than not—the truth is that we’re too stupid to understand them. And if there is one thing we don’t like, it’s feeling stupid. But this is learning. Being stupid. Being ranked lower. Being wrong. We’re better off listening to the master than sitting in class reading Wikipedia articles back at him. Put down your ego. Trust your professor.

I know we’re in Canada, but really, the aversion to cold in our generation is getting ridiculous! It’s raining—almost snowing—outside, and instead of cozying up in a comfy sweater with some Timmies, people are walking around in shorts and little else. If it’s all right to put up Christmas lights in the middle of November, then it should be damn well time to bundle up and look frumpy to withstand the winter temperatures. The question is, are people wearing their “winter clothes” because stores aren’t selling suitable clothing? I believe this is the case. I have wandered about in stores and haven’t found very many warm articles to purchase. It’s like almost every seasonal piece designed for winter is not meant to keep you warm, but is meant to appear as though you are kept warm. It makes no sense whatsoever. I would think that the general populace would rather to be kept warm than worry about looking chic or hip or sexy. I’m not even thinking about looking good when it’s cold out; blue isn’t a good colour for me. Maybe designers should start listening to “the problem with jeggings” and create some warmer clothes for those of us who aren’t built like a human radiator.

Winter is coming and jeggings won’t cut it

Will the circle be unbroken? Nick Ubels

Every few months, the City of Abbotsford evicts a homeless camp, euphemistically citing “safety concerns.” It has become as routine as passing budgets and public hearings. This time, Mayor Banman and company have their sights on the Jubilee Park protest encampment staged by BC/Yukon Drug War Survivors. The tents have been in place at their high-visibility location next to McCallum Road since October, a disquieting reminder of the municipal government’s cavalier response to the city’s growing homelessness crisis (chicken manure, anyone?). Instead of engaging with the protesters, the city is predictably seeking a provincial injunction to dismantle the camp. The recurring strategy here seems to be monitor quietly and evict on a technicality. Abbotsford does not pursue a long-term solution because that would be tacitly admitting it requires one. Obviously the current situation is not ideal, but closing one camp only moves the residents a few blocks down the road. Why not take a cue from Portland’s Dignity Village and create a sanctioned camp on a barren lot? It would be one compassionate step towards addressing the complex problems faced by the city’s homeless.

Arts vs science: divided we fall ASHLEY MUSSBACHER

THE CASCADE

It’s the end of another semester, and December looms before us with its deadlines, exams, and Christmas obligations. We are surrounded by fatigue and the scent of strong coffee. There’s a flu that’s been tearing at our lungs for the past two weeks. Some of us write notes in our binders of little to-dos, before we forget. At this point, it would be easy to flip the desk and walk away, call in for an early winter break. But then, wouldn’t it all be for nothing? You’ve managed to get this far, you can go a little further. Regardless of the subject, science or humanities, we’re all tired at this time of the year. There’s a common misconception that students of one discipline don’t work as hard as in the other. Some in science say the arts have it easy, just make things up, while others oppose those in science and claim the answer is either right or wrong – how hard is that? Near the end of each semester when the deadlines and all-night-

ers begin to stack up, we hear these snide remarks more and more. Since when did we start letting our subject define who we are as people? Do those who study physics ever listen to music to help them through a tough assignment? Has someone who writes poetry ever been inspired by fire? We’ve forgotten that, at one point, science and art were studied as one. It’s like the yin and yang of our intellectual community; one cannot exist without the other. It’s equally impossible to find a person who has never created anything in their life, or who hasn’t asked a single question about their existence. Community is created by the use of language in narrative, markmaking in art, and notes of song, as well as our unending quest to discover and rediscover ourselves and the fundamental systems of our universe. We know intrinsically that we cannot grow without studying the history of our mistakes, both as a society and as individuals. We also seem to understand that we need mathematics to track how we can make changes

for the future. Those who find solace in working with numbers and equations may have different day-to-day priorities than someone who paints in a studio, but they still feel in the same way. “Cold and calculating” might refer to a fictitious character in a novel, but the word calculating doesn’t mean mathematicians are cold just because it’s used in this context. It can go the other way too. Those who follow their passion in writing and study literature know as well as any scientist how to create and recognize logical connections between ideas within prose. If we stop and ask why there is a division between our two departments, we’ll realize it comes down to a lack of understanding of others and ourselves. We are all individuals, we all learn and find passion in different ways. So, in this last week of semester, as the weather turns cold and the days get shorter, let’s make a lastditch effort to not only finish our barrage of assignments and write those final exams, but to be mindful that everyone is feeling the crunch, regardless of subject.

Image: Anthony Biondi

They’re all applicable skills, so can we please stop fighting about it? Albert Einstein says it better than I ever could: “The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to

Have an opinion about something? Share it with us.

whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed.”

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

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

New leadership, shift in strategy essential for NDP in 2017 KATIE STOBBART

THE CASCADE

For the NDP, black is the new orange. After losing the 2013 provincial election, the party is frequently described in media as a party in mourning. The defeat was made all the more bitter because all the numbers predicted an orange win; one way or another, the NDP dropped the ball. And whatever the reason, the result is a shift in leadership: the NDP recently elected Craig Keating as party president, replacing Moe Sihota, and is now gearing up to vote on a new party leader within the next two years. However, it’s difficult to say at this point whether the change in leadership will amount to a 2017 win. In addition to provincial hopefuls, a few federal MPs have been identified as considering putting their names forward, including Kennedy Stewart (Burnaby-Douglas), Fin Donnelly (New Westminster-Coquitlam), and Peter Julian (Burnaby-New Westminster), but none has declared an official bid. Each would bring something different to the table; Stewart is the official opposition critic for science and technology, and Donnelly is the deputy critic for fisheries and oceans as well as infrastructure. Mike Farnworth, who ran against Dix in the previous NDP leadership race, is also a name to keep

Image: bcndp/ flickr

NDP must establish roots within the community to be successful. in mind, but these are only a few of the names caught up in the media grapevine. It will be interesting to see whether a federal player is elected for the provincial game and how that influences election strategy in the next few years. While new leadership may make all the difference in the next election, I’m concerned that it will have little impact for a number of

reasons. For one, new leadership has to include new ideas. Moving forward, the NDP has to start fresh, take solid stances on issues important to voters, and communicate their stance effectively. It’s not impossible to run a “clean” campaign, but last election it seemed the party confused that goal with a refusal to rebut the repetitive attack ads from

the Liberals on the NDP leader. Just because you don’t want to focus your politics on slamming the other party doesn’t mean you have to take such attacks lying down. Lack of faith in the leader, already present but cemented in voters’ minds by relentless reminders from the Liberals, was arguably a huge factor in the orange loss. Dix was also identified in the media as lacking charisma, especially held up to Christy Clark, who flashed a camera-ready smile at every opportunity. Another problem I have repeatedly attempted to express to my acquaintances in the NDP is that the party fails to connect with constituents in predominantly Liberal ridings outside election time. Increasingly on both the federal and provincial level, parties in power are essentially campaigning long before elections take place. While I strongly disagree with this practice (another issue for another day), it gives the party currently in power a major advantage when election time does come around – they don’t have to work nearly as hard on their public image, whereas the provincial NDP essentially has to start fresh each election in Liberal ridings (at least locally), while also battling the lingering resentment of the party’s past shortcomings. To build trust at the community level means the party has to get its act together early and make wine out of sour grapes. The NDP can-

didates for all three Abbotsford ridings have disappeared back into the woodwork post-election. Where are they? If a candidate is truly serious about serving his or her community as an MLA, that person should be clearly present, taking leadership roles in community events and establishing him or herself as someone connected to issues constituents care about at the level of that specific constituency. I strongly support the idea of voting for someone who will best represent the community as an MLA, and who has established a relationship with that community. I want to know my MLA would be committed to representing my community even if he or she was not paid to do so – so far, that has been a weakness for the NDP locally. Generally speaking, there are some great MLAs out there, and hopefully some of them will be interested in the leadership race. The key words are economy, community, and charisma. To gain voters’ trust, the NDP needs an airtight economic vision. Leadership at the community level is also an integral building block for that trust. Finally, like it or not, a leader can have all the experience and knowledge in the world but fail for lack of charisma. Tinder won’t catch fire without a spark to ignite it.

BC Liberals draft an apology to the Chinese community a century after the fact CHRISTOPHER DEMARCUS

THE CASCADE

The BC Liberals are making another move to win approval points, this time dressed up in the clothing of social justice. As CBC reports, our provincial government held a meeting with the Consolidated Chinese Benevolent Association this past weekend in Victoria to discuss the composition of an apology that addresses the historical systemic and legislated oppression forced on the Chinese population. Back in 1885, BC played a large role in creating the Chinese Immigration Act, which put a head tax on Chinese immigrants. The act created a $15 fee for incoming migrants, but by 1903 the price was raised to $500 – the equivalent of two years’ wages. This type of tax still continues today at about $1,000 dollars. But navigating the system and paying for legal fees costs much more. Most immigrants spend upwards to $10,000 to get into the country. Thus, keeping the poor out and the rich in. Of course, there are exceptions. Canada has labour programs that help important migrant workers and nannies for our social elite, keeping the costs of labour down in our country. This is the reality of multiculturalism and immigration in Canada: the story isn’t as simple as the oldtime government being bad in the

past, and then the new shiny government apologizing for it. The motivation behind the Liberals’ appeal to the Chinese community is to gain political support from voters and special interest groups. If it was about authentic justice, the BC government would be cutting $120,000 checks—two years’ wages worth—to the Chinese community. But, now that 100 years have passed, the recipients are dead. They can’t stand up for their rights anymore. Let’s place ourselves in the future, when Premier Clark reads the apology to her faux-Liberal base. The Chinese community, who is a massive part of BC’s economy and culture, will feel good and the historical oppression of unchained capitalism will be forgotten. I’m all for healing, but we need to take a step back and look at the motivations of the parties involved. Is this the real deal, or are we being sold a false dollar? This is how ideology works today; we are sorry, we apologize, we declare equality, then we move on with continued corruption. If the BC government was serious, they would stop and take action against the current temporary foreign worker program. Not only to protect Canadian jobs, but to protect the exploitation of foreign workers. The reason Canadians don’t want to be coal-miners and fruitpickers is because it’s unsustainable for them to do so – they can’t

Image: Vancouver City Archives - Ref code: AM1184-S1-: CVA 1184-3046 - Created by : Jack Lindsay (1945)

The provincial government makes another apology and another attempt to win the “ethnic vote.” pay the rent with those jobs. We have created an economic nightmare that treats unskilled labourers like ignorant slaves. We continue to turn to the exploitation of the other, the foreign worker. We demand a pluralist society. We invoke the spirit of multiculturalism to ease the tensions between cultural groups. But the multiculturalist mask can hide the true purpose of its masters: economic liberty for corporate interests. Don’t misunderstand, there is nothing wrong with a large business organization. There is nothing wrong with being a country of woven cultural interests. What’s

wrong is a large business organization that puts profit over workers and fake equality as reality. For a businesses to survive today this is what it must do. The corporation is required to be ruthless in its endeavor to survive. Greed is good. Paddy Chayefsky’s dialogue from the 1976 film Network sums up how the BC government views politics: “There is only one holistic system of systems, one interwoven, interacting, multivariate, multinational dominion of dollars. It is the international system of currency which determines the totality of life on this planet. That is the natu-

ral order of things today.” Multiculturalism gives the neocapitalist system a costume to wear. The apology from the BC government for its past oppression is like a child bully dressed as Captain America for Halloween. It’s American forms of truth and justice dressed up in a freshly bought costume from Wal-Mart. But we know what’s behind the mask. Inside is a scared Canadian politician, fearful of losing another election, terrified of looking weak, of it being found out that she is the real bad guy – as much as the oppressors of the past.

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

Do you think Movember is effective? Feel like sharing your short-andsweet opinion? Keep an eye out for our whiteboard-toting pollsters roaming the halls.

ARTS & LIFE FEATURE

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

SUDOKU PUZZLE

CROSSWORD Idioms

by Katie Stobbart

ACROSS 1. 4. 5. 7. 8. 11. 12. 13.

Preparing for an exam, for example. (11) If this is in someone’s cheek, you shouldn’t take what’s said seriously. (6) Getting one of these on your wrist isn’t so serious. (4) This sometimes results in the death of a feline. (9) The hopeful may cross these. (7) Forget crosswalks. (7) Thirteen things. (6, 5) A shift that takes place during the night. (9)

DOWN 2. 3. 6. 9. 10.

_____ in disguise. A good thing. (8) Be patient with those farm animals. (4, 4, 6) You’re close, but not quite there. (2, 5) Grudge-holders may have a chip here. (8) It takes two to do this. (5)

Answer Keys LAST WEEK

sudoku solution

Across 1 SEQUINS 5 CHANDELIER 7 MAGPIE 8 FAUCET 10 UTENSILS 12 COINS 13 WRAPPER 14 MIRROR Down 1 SUGAR 2 NECKLACE 3 POLISH 4 BRASS 6 DIAMOND 9 ALUMINUM 11 STAR

The Weekly Horoscope

Star Signs from Sumas Sibyl

Aquarius: Jan 20 - Feb 18: Skip waitlist. Go straight to registration. Haha, if only. You’re going to rot on that thing.

Gemini: May 21 - June 21: Join CIVL. You have a face for radio.

Libra: Sept 23 - Oct 22: Anxiety eating is not the answer. Keep eating at the golden arches and your weight is going to McDouble.

Pisces: Feb 19 - March 20: Watch out for turtle shells. If you get hit by one, you will die!

Cancer: June 22 - July 22: You’re destined to marry a Virgo – or was that virgin? Either way, the sex will be lousy.

Scorpio: Oct 23 - Nov 21: Katy Perry may love you unconditionally, but you can do what you want with Gaga’s body…

Aries: March 21 - April 19: Be advised, Captain Crunch is not a qualified captain.

Leo: July 23 - Aug 22: Venus and Mars are in a steamy hot conjunction. It doesn’t mean anything, just thought it was interesting.

Sagittarius: Nov 22 - Dec 21: Prepare for some theatrics. Your vagina is preparing a monologue.

Taurus: April 20 - May 20: You are going to be an astronaut! At least, your future looks black and empty.

Virgo: Aug 23 -Sept22: Great joy will be achieved if next semester’s tuition is used for Vegas instead.

Capricorn: Dec 22 - Jan 19: You know what would make you really cool? Wearing a bikini to school. Well, more than cool. You’ll be freezing. Though some may argue hot. It’s all a matter of perspective, really.

ARTS & LIFE FEATURE

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

Varsity Sports

James Najman creates strength from weakness NATHAN HUTTON CONTRIBUTOR

On May 2, 1939 famous New York Yankees hall of famer Lou Gehrig played his final game in white and blue. Due to his declining health and deteriorating ability to play the game he loved, he was forced to step down from his position on the team. A little over a month later Gehrig was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ALS later became the disease that ended his life, two short years after being diagnosed, on June 2, 1941. The class and composure Gehrig showed during this tough time in his life would be the inspiration for many athletes in the future. When he was 11 years old, UFV striker James Najman was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel disease that affects the gastrointestinal tract of the digestive system. This disease can affect the body’s immune system and is defined by severe intestinal tract distress, abdominal pain, and other possibly life-threatening symptoms. While James discovered the steps necessary to live with Crohn’s, he also became an accomplished public speaker, winning first place in a competition at his school involving students as high as the grade seven level. At the time, Najman was only in grade five. While his soccer interests quickly pre-empted his public speaking one, he was about to be provided a more powerful platform with which to reach people. While still a youth soccer player he was approached by the Canadian advocacy organization Gut Inspired. Gut Inspired works to raise awareness and offer support to individuals living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It was through Najman’s work with the group that he once again discovered

his love for public speaking and inspiring people. “My goal in public speaking is to inspire others. I want everyone, especially people that have a condition that they have to live with, [to know] that no matter what you do just don’t give up ... Being able to put smiles on people’s faces is a big thing for me. Even if I can change the life of one person and get them to never give up and live up to their dreams like I do, I would feel amazing because of it.”

In this outlook, Najman draws comparison to Lou Gehrig and other famous athletes who have overcome significant medical setbacks. Both used their conditions as a means of inspiring others and encouraging them to realize the impact that one person can have. Gehrig famously said in his final game at the historic Yankee Stadium “today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.” Najman would, no doubt, echo that sentiment.

Photo: Tree Frog Imaging

As Najman’s work continues with Gut Inspired, people are beginning to take notice, including a company in Chicago, Illinois. Abbvie Lab is a global pharmaceutical company with its headquarters in Chicago. When Abbvie first caught wind of Najman’s story they decided to fly him down to speak to their staff from the perspective of a patient. In Najman’s words he was there in order to “talk to representatives ... and just tell them my story. I wanted to

show them what battles I have gone through to become who I am today. They also asked questions about what they could do better as a company in helping new diagnosed Crohn’s patients and also to create better medications.” While Najman was in Chicago he spoke to over 500 employees about his life and did his best to inspire the company that had been a part of providing the medication necessary for him to cope. But even those who inspire seek inspiration. “People that I find inspiring are the people that really helped me through my journey,” Najman said. “My family was the biggest inspiration for me because they were there every step of the way. Of course, they really worried with everything that was going on but they stayed strong. I saw that, and it made me get through my battle of Crohn’s disease. Another role model of mine is one of my old coaches ... Once I was in the hospital for a month and he actually visited me every single day in the morning. He would grab a coffee and I would get a juice before he had to go to work. We just talked. That is just one of the things that he did for me and every little bit helped me through my journey.” While the athletes and the diseases are vastly different, both Najman and Gehrig hold the lessons learned while struggling with adversity, giving them an opportunity and perspective that can be used to inspire others. The lesson is that determination, perseverance, and belief are the basic essentials to success, however we measure and define it. Najman, as a freshman, has at least four years to contribute to the UFV soccer team and use his experience to inspire others. We have certainly not heard the last of him.

Photo: Tree Frog Imaging

ARTS & LIFE FEATURE

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

UFV Legends

Danika Snook Danika Snook’s five years as a key player for UFV’s women’s soccer team came during a period of tremendous change. The team grew into a post-season contender under coach Rob Giesbrecht, a status Snook helped establish. Giesbrecht, at the end of the 2013 season, spoke of Snook as “outstanding in leading the team with her work – her university career ended today, but as always she left everything on the field.” Snook, the scorer of the first goal in UFV women’s soccer playoff history, was there for the team’s run to their Canada West title in 2010, and recalled that moment, among others, in an interview with The Cascade.

MICHAEL SCOULAR THE CASCADE

Where did you play soccer growing up? In Chilliwack – I played there since I was five. Did you notice a change when you came to UFV or was it about the same in terms of expectations? Definitely higher expectations at UFV. Youth soccer is two practices a week with one game on the weekend, [but] then UFV is every single day in August – you‘re practicing for pre-season. Then during September, October, November, every single day you’re either with your team or practicing or working out. How did you balance that with schoolwork? It’s pretty tough. I’ve written a couple exams in airports, one in a hotel room, because you’re constantly travelling. You just cope with it though, because it’s a set schedule, right? And soccer is, if not the first priority, the second under school. You don’t really have much of a social life – you kind of give that up instead of giving up soccer. What kind of changes did you notice over your career?

My first year, I didn’t know what was going on. I felt kind of lost, because first year there’s a lot of change. There are a lot of expectations and you’re not quite sure how to play at the level yet ... it’s a style of play that wasn’t taught to me when I was younger. You’re with more advanced players now. It wasn’t until probably my third or fourth season that I actually felt, “Okay, I’m actually confident now, and I can actually play with the other team and be a good player and bring everything I can bring.” This last season you didn’t have any goals or assists, but were there parts of your game you were proud of that didn’t show up on the

Photo: Tree Frog Imaging

scoresheet? Well, for the first four seasons I was mainly a striker or a winger, whereas this last season I was a defender for most of the time, which was a great change. Actually, looking back at it I now call myself a defender, which is kind of weird for me, but I loved it. Had defending always been a strong part of your game, and was the position change made to fit that? My coach and I were talking, and he thought that it would be a good location for me, because we had quite a few strong strikers and he noticed that I do have a more defensive mindset. So [he] tried me out [as a defender] and worked with me there and decided to keep me there. Do you have any favourite memories from your career? Well, it was my second year – I went to nationals with the team. We were the underdogs and both Rob and Al were the new coaches that came in, took our team under their wing, and took us all the way … I remember Al Alderson, our

assistant coach at the time, he was talking about (he was referring to us as horses, like in a horse race) how many horses we had to pass and games to win before we could actually make it to playoffs. And I remember each time he brought that up, we were getting closer and closer, until our last few games where we had to win to make it, and we did. It was just such a great moment where we actually could accomplish something so big and make it all the way through playoffs into nationals and come through. So you worked with different coaches; some changed over the course of your career? Yeah, my first season was with Colin Miller. That was part of the reason I came to UFV – Colin Miller is an outstanding coach, world-renowned, and he’s a great player. He left because he had a coaching opportunity – I believe it was with the Whitecaps at that point, which was in the interest of his own career, which was fine. I was pretty devastated at that point. I remember being quite upset. But it turned out really well, because Rob has so much passion. [He’s] coached through—since then until now—the last four years. He brought a ton to the team, a whole different mental aspect. What are you doing now that your varsity career is over? I am enjoying some time to myself, I guess? With soccer, there are certain workouts you do. Now I can do other things. I’ve been climbing, I’ve been doing more hikes. I just have more time. I don’t have to worry about cardio as much, which is nice. I’ve been getting some schoolwork done.

Photo: Tree Frog Imaging

You’re finishing up your degree? Yeah, I’m going to extend it a little bit – I’m not ready to apply for grad school, but I have only a year left maximum. [I’m majoring] in kinesiology, and I probably will finish with a double major in psychology as well.

And with grad school you’d be looking to...? Do psychology. Kinesiology was more, well, I came to UFV for soccer, so I didn’t really know what I wanted [to study]. Kinesiology was the most relevant to me at the time, so I got into the program, and I still love it, but psychology is the area I will go towards. Is there anything particular in psychology that interests you? Throughout soccer actually we’ve had a sports psychologist, or I guess more motivational training and mental aspects of the game from Roger Friesen, [who] teaches here. That interests me a lot, not necessarily just the sport area, but the whole mental side of performing a task. Positive psychology interests me, which is a newer field. I probably want to do research in that area, and most likely end up counselling. And if you had any advice to give to first-year students, what would that be? Enjoy it while you can? [Laughs.] I would say it can be so stressful and you don’t realize that it’s actually something you’ve chosen, right? You come to UFV because this is something you’re choosing to do in life, and you should try to enhance that experience rather than struggling through it. It is a struggle and it’s going to be stressful, but try to live with it, you know, and take out what you can that’s good. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

ARTS & LIFE

Cascade Arcade

CONTRIBUTOR

The Need for Speed series has always been present in gaming even if EA doesn’t see that the world doesn’t really care for it anymore. While the previous two installments have really brought the series back from obscurity, they don’t shake the feeling of dull familiarity. My first experience with series was back in 1998 with Need for Speed 3: Hot Pursuit. While I liked the driving mechanics and the cars, nothing was as interesting to me as being the cop. Whether it was a young child’s ambition to be a police officer or the idea of being the hunter I’ll never truly know, but I played as the police officer for hours on end. After Hot Pursuit 2, the role of the police officer faded away as Black Box Games turned to street racing. The Need for Speed: Underground (one and two) paved the way for one of the best games in the series, Most Wanted. Ironically, I enjoyed being chased by the cops most of all in this game as I would try to set records with friends for longest chase and most destroyed cop vehicles. But then the series took a fall it almost did not recover from. Black Box was making a new Need for Speed game each year for five years straight. EA’s CEO at the time John Riccitiello even stated that “we literally had them on a death march.” After Carbon (a tuner-biased version of Most Wanted), Pro Street (a commercial failure), and Undercover (just a poorly made game), the

series was almost canned. Then Slightly Mad Studios came and saved the series with Shift. An intense simulator comparable to Gran Turismo but with a dash of arcade speed to make it fun and challenging, the game was successful and hailed as one of the best in the series. The series, recovered, was about to almost top itself. Criterion Games (makers of the Burnout series) was tasked with bringing back the cop vs. racer aspect with a reboot of Hot Pursuit. After almost eight years, I was finally able to chase street racers down once again. With high-octane chases, amazing crash effects, and track designs that, while simple, let the cars bring everything they had to it, Hot Pursuit was highly acclaimed and received several awards. But with success, soon came failure. Shift 2 was released with good reviews but lacking sales, resulting in the sub-series’ cancellation. Then Black Box threw itself into its own grave with the abysmal Need for Speed: The Run. The studio that had produced some of the best racing titles of the early 2000s was shut down and the series was handed over to Criterion. They continued with a Most Wanted reboot, but it lacked the long tracks and arcade-like speed of Hot Pursuit. Now comes Rivals developed by Ghost Games (a large percentage of whose staff consists of past Criterion employees) which is a general mix of the last two games. It retains the open-world aspect of Most Wanted while staying to the long straightaways and intense

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Dine & Dash

Rivers Restaurant

Need For Speed Rivals JEREMY HANNAFORD

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013

speeds of Hot Pursuit. It feels like a half effort. It doesn’t push the speed limit or offer as much change as one would want. But it does offer something else. When you enter a game, you ‘re placed with five other players who are carrying out careers as cops or racers. The constant connectivity of free-roam events keeps the action always flowing. You can play with them or, as I did often, play against them. I played in five separate rooms and almost no one was ever the cop. I enjoyed the free reign to hunt these players down while they were in the middle of their races to foil their plans of victory. While this experience felt similar to Hot Pursuit, it felt slightly darker. In Hot Pursuit, it was a match. The point was to run from the hunted. But in Rivals, the risk is always present even if they are just driving around. And this made me like it even more. While I found my time hunting racers enjoyable, it became mundane very quickly. I switched to racer and found it even more so, and only had a thrill when another player was hunting me and not the CPUs. After a few hours, I popped Criterion’s Hot Pursuit back in and instantly remembered everything I loved about it. The Need for Speed series is the racing equivalent of Call of Duty. Need for Speed is one of the oldest racing titles in gaming and is recognized for lasting so long. But someone at EA should see that a new title every year is only chipping away at the title’s good name. If a team were to work on a new game for more than three years, I know it could be extraordinary. But that will probably never happen.

Photo: Sasha Moedt

31401 Livingstone Ave, Abbotsford 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. every day Prices: up to $13.95 SASHA MOEDT THE CASCADE

We first noticed Rivers Restaurant when walking along Peardonville Road. The only reason we were walking down Peardonville was because we never go to that area and wondered what was there. Rivers was tucked along the side near a motel, a dumpy looking place that had a trailer look to it. Though it does say “diner,” that’s how it looked to me. When we first walked in, all we saw was the front desk, a white board with the specials written for the day, and four or five tables. It was exactly what we expected. But when our waitress came to seat us, she led us around the corner to reveal a busy restaurant filled with clean booths with pleasant red trim. There were young families, old couples, and groups. It looked to me just like the IHOP of this part of town. Our server told us that they’d been around since 1996. Part of me was surprised because I’d never heard of them... But there was part of me that felt they could’ve been around since the beginning of time. I got a cup of coffee to start. Apparently, Rivers is one of the rare places that keeps your cup full. Servers kept popping over to our booth and offering to top me up. On that note, we never had to struggle flagging down a server for anything; the staff were very competent. Rivers’ menu is surprisingly large. They specialise in breakfasts, but also have a huge variety of sandwiches, burgers and main entrees. I ordered a cup

of broccoli soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. My boyfriend ordered Eggs Benedict with farmer ’s sausage. I tried the soup first. Most broccoli soups have a salty taste to them, but my server enthusiastically recommended it to me and it was only $2.50, so I gave it a shot. It was rich, creamy, and—for once!—not salty! I loved it. The rest of the food came out promptly. Our plates were loaded. I didn’t realise that my grilled cheese came with a truckload of fries; their menu (even for burgers) says nothing about fries so I just assumed it was just the grilled cheese. My boyfriend’s eggs Benedict was fantastic. I’ve never had farmer ’s sausage with eggs benedict. It added a nice spice to the flavour that ham wouldn’t have given. The hollandaise sauce wasn’t as flavourful as I like, but the dish was good. I think my grilled cheese sandwich was the highlight; It had the perfect amount of crispy crunch to it, and not too much grease (but enough to make it melt in your mouth). Both the pan fries that came with the benedict and my fries weren’t the best. They were thick cut without a bit of crisp to it; it felt like I was eating boiled potatoes. Rivers’ prices are good. For a regular meal, you’ll pay between $9.95 and $12.95. The portions are big and the food is—like every diner—quite heavy. Unfortunately, if you share a plate, $2.00 is added to the meal price. Kind of crummy for students trying to save money, and these dishes could easily be shared River Restaurant is a diamond in the rough. Once you are inside, that dumpy look you see on the outside is gone. It’s a comfortable place to spend time over breakfast and coffee.

ARTS & LIFE

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

Haute Stuff

Tips and tricks for staying warm and dry this winter ASHLEY MUSSBACHER THE CASCADE

Shuffle

CHARTS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Shad Flying Colours

AARON LEVY

Open Letters 1-6

CIVL Station Manager Aaron Levy is glad students get a break after this final issue!

CIVL STATION MANAGER

Losses Demos

Dead Prez – “They Schools”

Tough Age Tough Age

My good friend visited Vancouver this past weekend for the Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy annual conference, and I remember his glee in grade 12 at being allowed to blast this song in the hallways, reveling in the chorus lyric “All my high school teachers can suck my dick.” Freedom.

The Ketamines So Hot!

White Lung Blow It South

Alice Cooper – “School’s Out”

Sebastien Grainger Yours To Discover

One of the most recognizable education-centric hits of the 20th century, it’s a mantra that students repeat on an annual basis, but can be just as relevant when faced with the December break, that is the Christmas holidays! Some of you will not be back in January, so congratulations!

Drake Nothing Was The Same Weed Deserve

Pink Floyd – “Another Brick in the Wall”

The Darcys Warring

We definitely need education, even if thought control would be pleasantly left off the table for most of us. I never thought this was a Pink Floyd song when I was younger, and was even more surprised to find it was featured on their socalled masterpiece The Wall. I’m with Dark Side.

Tera Melos X’ed Out

Bertha Cool/ Hemogoblin Bertha Cool/Hemogoblin split

13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Aquabats – “Fell Asleep on My Arm”

No Age An Object

Blink 182 and Transplants drummer Travis Barker were poached from this happy-go-angst-lucky punk/pop project based in the 90s, but their Vandals-style lyric-oriented concept songs and albums definitely set a precedent followed by acts similar to Me First and the Gimme Gimmes and the like. School can bore at times.

War Baby Jesus Horse Angela Galuppo Angela Galuppo Majical Cloudz Impersonator Average Times Average Times Roar Roar

KASHKA Bound

Animal Parts Six Arms To Hold You

There’s an age-old question that plagues both genders when it comes to fashion: how can you be practical and stylish at the same time? Is it even possible? It’s much easier to look good in the summer without sacrificing comfort or health. But as we move into December, we’ll encounter all sorts of horrible weather, from sleet to snow. We would like to not only dress to keep warm and dry, but also avoid looking like an overstuffed Teletubby. Here are a few tips and tricks I’ve learned from having braved both the dry snowfalls of dead-of-winter Saskatchewan and the torrential rain of British Columbia. Keeping your feet dry We’re all familiar with the layout of UFV’s Abbotsford campus and its need for spacious green lawns between buildings. In summer, the green becomes a popular hangout for students to catch some rays and warm up before their next class. In winter, it tests our endurance, and our unwavering love of coffee (do you really want to make the voyage outside in the storm for a Tim Horton’s double-double?). Most jackets are waterproof, but it’s difficult to find an inexpensive pair of boots that won’t let the water in by the end of the day. Double socks work for short trips. The water might only soak the first layer, leaving your feet warm and dry. However, an even better idea, especially if you walk to school, might only cost you ten cents. Two shopping bags. That’s right. Put your socks on as usual, and then line your boots with plastic. Your feet will stay dry and warm. Just remember to tuck the bag down into your boots, so you don’t have the handles flapping out of the top. Keeping warm without dressing bulkily Jeans are not winter-wear. In Saskatchewan, you can buy jeans with fleece liner. In BC, you just have to suck it up and endure. For most people, if your legs are cold, it doesn’t matter how warm your upper body is, you won’t be able to shake that chill. But not to worry! There’s a secret that will let you wear your favourite pair of jeans even in the dead of winter. Long underwear. Thermal is best. It’s thin and sells for under $10 a pair. You can wear it like tights underneath your jeans, and it doesn’t crease your butt or feel bunched up near the waist, so you can still wear your hip-huggers. If you can tuck them into your socks, your ankles will also stay warm. For those with arthritis in the knees, it helps keep the cold out of the bones. If you don’t have $10 to spend, tights work just the same. They might feel a little thicker on the legs, but they’ll keep you warmer than just jeans.

Photo: Ralph Aichinger/Flickr

Not only for carrying your groceries, plastic bags can also be used to keep your feet warm and dry during the winter months

Photo: MandelMedia/Flickr

Long underwear can provide a warm layer in cold, cold BC.

ARTS & LIFE

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

Album Review

Stiff Valentine - Empire of Illusion DESSA BAYROCK THE CASCADE

[Editor’s Note: Chris DeMarcus is a member of The Cascade’s staff]

Mini Album Reviews

SoundBites

Empire of Illusion opens with a drum machine, which is unexpected for a metal album. On the other hand, it’s also a reminder that electronic elements—distortion, after-effects, samples, etcetera—are weaseling their way into every genre. Is digital metal a genre? It is now. This theme of digitization works well with the subject matter Stiff Valentine tackles on this record – it’s the first metal band I’ve encountered, anyway, with a love for words like technocrat and ideology. The content is a surprisingly good match for the genre. It’s nice to hear growled/ roared lyrics revolving around the failings of consumerism rather than typical blood, gore, and violence. This lets the violent style of the music composition shine; Stiff Valentine gives you the best of both worlds with

and more preachy. In another era, this album might have seen the light of day as a hand-bound manifesto critiquing society’s ever-present need to consume and commodify. “Give me your hungry / Give me your poor / Give me your whores / and I will make them commodities,” lead singer Chris DeMarcus growls. The sentiments are interesting to consider, and wouldn’t be out of place in a media and communications course, but by nature a heavy metal song is not really the best place to approach them. What could be full-blooded theses turn into highly simplified (and, at their worst, repetitive) concepts. Sometimes they even creep into cliché territory: “I will not be sold / I am incorruptible!” two vocalists tear out in “Incorruptible.” Sure you are, Stiff Valentine. Sure you are. On the other hand, this line of critique appears purely because the album so adeptly presents itself as a mini-manifesto; purely as a work of metal, these quick snaps of academic theory are ac-

tually pretty serviceable as brutal material. Going back to vocals, the growl can make or break a metal album. DeMarcus’ growl is more of a pseudo-growl; it’s got a gravelly, cigarettes-and-whiskey, bluesy quality that works quite well. Kerry Petersen provides silky, whispery female back-up vocals, which make some stanzas even creepier. My favourite song comes near the end of the album in “Nu Mecha,” a pun combining religious feeling with technological progress which I truly, truly appreciate. DeMarcus steps away from the growl just long enough to provide a spoken word excerpt to set the tone, not only for the track but the record as a whole. “We have a duty to technologically innovate,” he says, in a tone that could be used by someone presenting to a packed lecture hall, or equally as well by someone on the street with a sign reading “the end is nigh” and a giant beard. “There are no consequences ... only conclusions. The energy slaves, they must obey.”

Gregory Alan Isakov The Weatherman

food for thought and music for moshing. On the other hand, by the

time the end of the album rolls around, these sentiments start to feel less thought-provoking

Sky Ferreira Night Time, My Time

Baby Cages I’m So Sorry

Preservation Hall Jazz Band That’s It!

Here’s a litmus test for Night Time, My Time: on “Nobody Asked Me,” Sky Ferreira, summoning up a wealth of frustation, lets go of any attempt to hit some ideal of songwriting greatness, ending the title line “I’ll try to ask you / but nobody asked me / if I was okay” with a string of shouts: “NoNoNoNo / NoNoNo!” Does that sound like a passionate external criticism, or internal-microscope narcissism? “I Blame Myself ” follows this with “How could you know what it feels like / to be outside yourself ?” The three-song run that comes next (“Omanko,” “You’re Not the One,” and “Heavy Metal Heart”) cements, through Ferreira’s straight confident vocals and Ariel Rechtshaid’s production of rapid, punchy drum machines and bleeding, repeating guitar riffs (familiar to, but exceeding his work on Haim’s Days Are Gone) NTMT as easily the best pop album this year. The internal/external problem threatens: the tabloid-esque “news” surrounding Ferreira’s debut release is relevant in some ways (DIIV’s Zachary Cole is an influence, but not a guiding one; some of Ferreira’s frustration can be traced to years of rejected songs and albums by her label), but no more than a distraction everywhere else. But it’s Ferreira’s studio collaborations, not contractual limitations, that matter in the end, and make NTMT a first album that sounds more like a third or fourth.

Nova Scotia native Halloway Jones’ solo debut is so musically sparse and tense, it’s unsettling to sit through. Jeremy Costello’s gritty and bare-bones atmospheric production fills out the rest of this moody and dreamlike record, I’m So Sorry. The heartfelt grief and sadness expressed on the tracks “Sorry Love” and “Heaven” seep through the speakers and follow you around even after you’ve stopped listening to the record, haunting your every step. On “No Good,” Jones discusses alienation and paranoid thoughts about acceptance within a group of friends, singing, “and your friends all think you’re bad / they don’t want you around / they hate to see you comin’ around / they love to see you gone.” With barely audible vocals and fuzzed out guitars, Jones croons to the listener through the extremes of dark and light, terror and comfort, hope and despair. It’s only fitting that the last track on the record is entitled “Twin Peaks.” The title of the track references the eerie 1990s television program created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. However, the way Jones whispers the lyrics and Costello compiles sonic pulses is enough to evoke feelings of excitement and terror even without the reference.

New Orleans is the greatest musical form on earth. Nola isn’t a city or a tourist attraction. It’s a hybrid of all North American ideas, distilled to a nice 45 proof. And really, the only way to judge a city is by its music. Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s That’s It! is a snapshot of the New Orleans style. It’s impossible to listen to this album without thinking of it as a pinnacle of cultural form. The tracks are a peephole into the entire moving history of New Orleans orchestration. You don’t hear one group playing on this record, you hear a kaleidoscopic avalanche of musical themes from hundreds of years of musical refinement. But this music isn’t classical. It’s the dialectical balance between classical and folk tradition; jazz in its true form. A musical style that works like all good things do, as a balance between one dichotomy and the other. Put down your bottle of True Blood, and check out tracks like “Rattlin’ Bones” for a better idea of what New Orleans tastes like. “I Think I Love You” would work well at your next hipster party, but the harmonies in the chorus and the saxophone bridge solo will infect any cynical heart. This record is “Halfway right, Halfway wrong,” like the examined life, like good jazz, like blues and like funk: living in the space between, sliding up to peek at human creativity.

Gregory Alan Isakov is a folk singer, through and through. Listening to his music is like peering into his soul. Anybody who watched television last Christmas and saw the McDonalds commercial with a couple moving into an apartment would recognize his song “Big Black Car.” That was a song off his previous album. Isakov’s slow elegance remains consistent through his newly released The Weatherman. His low, uniquely warm and tender voice is what really elevates the music. It’s the perfect bonding pair with candlelight. The album encompasses 13 tracks, seven of which form the backing for three others that are great, and three more that are just wrenchingly lovely. “O’ City Lights,” “Astronaut,” and “Suitcase Full of Sparks” fit into this second group. The common element among them is that they are Isakov at his finest: each song has room to breathe within the album’s atmosphere. With “The Universe,” there’s just magnificence in its metaphoric meaning. “Honey, It’s All Right” is simpler. It’s more direct. But it offers peace of mind for people going through a certain period in their lives. Then the album finds it’s way to the end with “She Always Takes It Black” – slowed to the point that it’s almost spoken word, the way Isakov ends the lines, the toned down guitar and lonely piano, the sensitive lyrics, the impending end, it all adds up to something greater than I can portray.

MICHAEL SCOULAR

TIM UBELS

CHRISTOPHER DEMARCUS

Joe Johnson

ARTS & LIFE

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

Book Review

The internet taketh away: Present Shock

By Douglas Rushkoff

CHRISTOPHER DEMARCUS THE CASCADE

What are you doing right now? Instead of finding out Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker ’s father in The Empire Strikes Back or that Ross loves Rachel on Friends, we are spending time playing with light-saber apps and stuck in a reality TV feedback loop. There is no conclusion, no catharsis, no moral lesson. There is only what’s happening right now. It’s the narrative, the basic story arc we can relate to, that is starting to slide in modern media. You’re reading an article in a newspaper—in print, online, or maybe out loud to someone else. This article, like most others, is built on a narrative structure: there is a beginning, middle, and end. The problem for us and Rushkoff is that we are losing the ability to relate with the natural progression of the world. Being mindful and present is part of the human experience, but modern media has moved from a progressive narrative to a state of constant engagement, keeping our eyes glued to the screen. While Present Shock does good to illuminate how we got caught in the constant media loop of modernity, it doesn’t do much

to probe deep into the root cause and effects of our mass media society. There is no LacanianŽižek or Heideggerian-Arendt analysis of our obsession with

the distractions of our modern technopoly. The book critiques mass media from a pop level, using pop culture examples to attack culture.

And that’s probably for the best, because this book is accessible in the best sense of the word. Its writing is tight and smooth. At a quick 300 pages, Present Shock makes for a fast, fun, and intellectual read. It may be only surfing the crest of media studies, but it catches some big waves. Rushkoff is able to quickly summarize media theorist Marshall McLuhan in a paragraph: the medium creates a space that shapes the message; “A lightbulb creates an environment, even though it has no content.” Like Damian Thompson’s The Fix, this work explains how we get foolishly addicted to checking our email, even when there is little chance of there being something important to read. The solution to this problem is “stacking digital.” Meaning, we should go about our day doing important things—making product, communicating with coworkers, and eating without a screen in our face—then come to pile of e-mails when we’re ready. In this case, Rushkoff suggests using a auto-responder to return your e-mail requests until you’re ready to answer them. Like most cultural critiques and media theorists that examine technology, Rushkoff doesn’t want to stop the onslaught of digital media, rather the goal is

to understand it by examining how it affects our society. He looks at the trade-offs between innovation and tradition. For Rushkoff, the internet giveth and the internet taketh away. For as much openness as we have in our technology, transparency can be turned on its head and become an inverted totalitarian technocracy. By the book’s end, every thinkable surface symbol of cultural is hit; from zombies as an analogy to mass media consumers to Beavis and Butt-Head as a generation of viewers who want television shows about people watching television shows. We are becoming less a society of consumers— people who pay for manufactured goods—and more a society of audience lumps—people who pay for media services to watch over dinnertime. What this book teaches is how to separate the present from the distraction. As human beings— not machines—we can choose to live life by truly connecting, instead of always trying to catch up to what someone else did somewhere else. It’s about the positive effects of temporal flexibility and mindfulness: examining your own life and living well in it.

Local artist creates custom products for every franchise fan TAYLOR BRECKLES

CONTRIBUTOR

“Get your geek on,” urges the Facebook cover photo of local business, Geekery To You From Me. Artist Melissa Lenardon works in a home-based workshop to create gifts from every fandom imaginable in many mediums. “The main [fandom] is Dr. Who,” explains Lenardon. She also deals in Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Edgar Allen Poe, and anything else from Harry Potter to Super Mario Bros. But how did she get started? “It kinda flew overnight,” Lenardon says. “I was painting Dr. Who shoes [and] a Dr. Who Facebook page said, ‘show us your creative stuff.’ ... In about three hours I went from 30 likes to about 320.” Lenardon’s business was created in one night, and took off from there all over the U.S. and Canada. Even though Lenardon mainly deals in the Dr. Who community, she says she is willing to try anything. “It’s pretty much by request,” she says, “so if somebody asks for something, I’ll look it up and take it from there.” No matter how obscure the fandom, a product can be created with the help of Google and Lenardon’s craftsmanship. As far as cost goes, Lenardon admits that things can get pricey and that can prove to be

Melissa Lenardon’s work spans new fandoms, from sci-fi and video games, to literary classics, like Edgar Allen Poe. a challenge. “Mostly [the price] is based off the cost of the product and then [trying] to put a price on the time,” she says. On the other hand, she notes, no one is expected to pay unless they’re happy with her design. “I don’t expect people to pay first,” she explains. “I’m going to try, I’m going to make [the product]. If you like it, awesome. If you don’t, maybe somebody else will.” She notes that she hasn’t had someone decline her geekery

mock-ups yet. “I want people to be able to express how geeky they are,” Lenardon shares. “We’re now in a time [where] it’s more acceptable to be a geek and be open about it.” Lenardon is humble about her craft, and expresses that “everyone has their thing that they love most,” so she tries to remain unbiased and non-judgmental regarding every fandom. Lenardon works with a variety of mediums in order to please every fan. She has

worked with shoes, a plethora of mugs, plates, clay, some jewellery, and she is starting on making bags because she says, “you can never have enough totes. Ever.” In the near future, Lenardon is looking to add another medium: shirts. “I’m more excited about that than anything else,” she explains, “because then you can have it be exactly what you want.” Geekery To You From Me has been running for less than a year, and Lenardon has some

Image: Melissa Lenardon

sage advice to pass on to anyone willing to start crafting. “It’s not that it’s easy and it’s not that it’s hard, you just have to do it. You just have to be dedicated [enough] to take the time and understand that there’s going to be trial and error,” she says. “Just be patient; you’re not going to get it right the first time, but the big thing is when you see all of these amazing things online—all of [this] really ‘oh my gosh’ stuff—don’t expect to get that the first time.”

ARTS & LIFE

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

Authors awe the audience at the South Asian lit festival ASHLEY MUSSBACHER THE CASCADE

The Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies hosted its 7th annual South Asian Readers and Writers Festival on the evening of November 21. The event started off slowly as people mingled, and snacked on samosas and citrus water. Guests were greeted kindly by centre coordinator Sharanjit Sandhra, and as the room filled people took seats and waited eagerly to hear the authors read their pieces. First to read was Raminder Sidhu from her first novel, Tears of Mehndi, which explores the lives of a tight-knit community in Vancouver ’s Little India. The opening introduces a female narrator, who seems to struggle choosing between traditional upbringings and the different values of the West. The scene sets us in a household where we grasp hints of family drama, including a mystery surrounding a missing woman. Sidhu ended the reading just before a reveal, teasing the audience and leaving them wanting more. Lieutenant colonel Pritam Singh Jauhal, or “Uncle” as Sandhra affectionately referred to him, read a short excerpt of

Photo: Ashley Mussbacher / The Cascade

Raminder Sidhu read from Tears of Mehndi, a novel set in Vancouver’s Little India. his autobiography A Soldier Remembers. The book is a collective effort written by members of the Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies and Jauhal, and is due for publication on November 30. Being a decorated war veteran and a man who devoted 20 years of his life to his country, Jauhal shared his experience of discrimination and blatant racism

during a Rememberance Day ceremony at the Surrey Newton Legion Branch in 1993. “The two attendants stopped me,” he said, “and the one told me I could not enter, because I had a turban on my head… I have never been so utterly humiliated.” Jauhal said that even though he’s been a fighter all his life,

that was his most public battle. A Soldier Remembers is about Jauhal’s struggle with the Legion, but ultimately chronicles the struggles and accomplishments of a Sikh-Canadian, and his lifelong service to his community and country. The reading was brilliant. The third reading was done by Hugh Johnston from Jewels of

the Qila, which delves into a history of an immigrant community through the eyes of the Siddoo family. The reading was deep and detail-oriented, taking note of family connections and geography while also mingling all the elements of a historical autobiography with those of creative non-fiction. Johnston ended the reading powerfully. Last was poet Ashok Bhargava reading from Lost in the Morning Calm, a compilation of poetry he translated from Korean. The poems, he explained, were given to him by a Korean exchange student who wanted her father ’s work to go to someone who would appreciate his poetry. Bhargava said he didn’t know what to do with them, because they were written in Korean. So, he said simply, “I learned Korean.” The poems were simply put, yet moving. Bhargava held the audience in awe until the very last word of poetry. With the readings wrapped up, the floor was open for the audience to ask questions of the authors, and some people shuffled back toward the samosa table for something spicy to keep them warm on a frigid November night.

Film Review

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire TAYLOR BRECKLES CONTRIBUTOR

The theatre was packed, even at the 10:30 p.m. showing; this was a near marvel for a girl who doesn’t typically go out past 10:00 p.m. Judging beyond the packed theatre, the film was very good overall. The first few minutes rushed through about 50 pages of the book, which was disconcerting. During those first critical minutes, there was a lot of information that wouldn’t make a lot of sense—or have the right impact—unless the audience had already read Catching Fire. I understand that movies can’t possibly fit every detail from the book into the film, but the amount of information that was bypassed completely was a bit much. That being said, the remainder of the film followed the book pretty accurately. I must say that as far as book-to-films go, the Hunger Games series is definitely one of the better ones. Naturally a couple things have to be changed, but the transition between worlds works fairly well. The romance aspect of the movie, however, is really overdone compared to the book. In the series, Katniss Everdeen is a fairly reserved girl who doesn’t display her emotions often. Usually, she is even unsure of how she feels. Yet in Catching Fire she smooches everybody! Alright, maybe not everybody, but she does lay on the kisses fairly thick in this film compared with the sparse moments in the book. At certain moments, she kisses somebody—I won’t spoil who—when it really wasn’t necessary. It brought me out of the moment. This second install-

ment of the series makes Katniss appear to rely on a kiss instead of verbally expressing what she wants; not that she’s a reveal-all kind of character, but the romance is a bit excessive. Even with the added romance— which I’m sure fans don’t particularly mind—there is still plenty of murderous action, Capitol schemes, deception, and humour to captivate every type of audience. I was actually surprised with how cheeky Katniss was in this movie. I remember thinking to myself that Jennifer Lawrence herself was commenting in certain moments, as Katniss’ comedy was similar to that of her portrayer. Yet there are also some comedic moments that fit very well in the scenes and add a touch of lightness to the emotionally dense movie. Katniss also sheds quite a few tears in the film, and I’m grateful that those moments aren’t overly Hollywood; her emotions look very real, not beautified. The act of crying doesn’t typically look as beautiful as it is portrayed in a lot of movies, which is why not glorifying Katniss’ emotional breakdowns adds a realistic and relatable touch. Despite the additional romance, a few out-of-character acts, and distracting shaky cam in a few scenes, Catching Fire is a fantastic movie. The costumes are brilliant, the sets looked true to description, and the new cast blends in beautifully. Catching Fire kept me engrossed with its constant display of emotion, action, and intrigue. Definitely a film worth watching.

Calling for Teaching Excellence Award Nominations Linda Pardy Recipient of the 2013 UFV Teaching Excellence Award.

Once again UFV will provide an award to an individual in recognition of teaching excellence. Those eligible for nomination include all UFV faculty and lab instructors who have completed two years of instruction, or sessional instructors who have completed the equivalent time. Nominations will be accepted from faculty, students, alumni, and staff. Selection criteria include mentorship, attention to student learning in the instructional environment and in coursework, respect for students, integration of scholarship, and professional activity. Nomination packages can be downloaded from ufv.ca/tea or picked up from Lisa McMartin (B303 – Abbotsford campus). Completed nomination packages should be submitted to the attention of Lisa McMartin, Assistant to the University Secretary, Abbotsford campus (B303). For more information, contact Lisa McMartin at 604-504-7441 ext 5114 or lisa.mcmartin@ufv.ca.

Deadline for nominations is Fri, Feb 7, 2014

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

SPORTS & HEALTH

Heat Report

A November to remember TIM UBELS CONTRIBUTOR

With their 4-0 win over the Iowa Wild last Saturday, the red-hot Abbotsford Heat have stormed to the top of the AHL standings with a remarkable 32 points through the first 22 games of the season. Mirroring their rise to the top of standings in the early goings of last year’s season, this young Heat club went 11-1-0-0 in the month of November. Despite the recent call-up of goaltender Reto Berra and a trade that sent Roman Horak to the Edmonton Oilers, players like Michael Ferland, Blair Jones, and Joni Ortio have all picked up the slack to make the Heat the AHL’s top team in the early going. Ferland had a particularly rough start to the season, failing to register a point in his first 11 games. A player with a history of poor conditioning, Ferland knew he had to be more disciplined and make an impression if he wanted to get more minutes with the club this season. With no option this year for the Heat to send him back to junior, it was time for Ferland to make his mark on the scoreboard. Lately, he has done just that, picking up

11 points in his last eight games. The 22-year-old power forward is getting comfortable using his rare mix of skill and size, with his style of play falling somewhere in between NHL players like Boston Bruins tough guy Shawn Thornton and Vancouver Canucks forward Zack Kassian. With Berra getting his first shot at the big leagues, Ortio has made the most of the time he’s been given as the Heat’s top goaltender. Coming off a terrific season in the Finnish Elite League, Ortio has fit right in at the AHL level, remaining undefeated through his first nine games this season and recording his first professional hockey league shutout with Saturday’s victory over the Wild. Before the year’s out, Ortio might be the one called on by the Flames to occupy their crease. The Flames pulled the trigger on more minor transactions this past week, sending gritty forward Tim Jackman to the Anaheim Ducks for a sixth-round pick, then sending their own sixth-round pick to the Dallas Stars in exchange for forward Lane MacDermid, who was immediately assigned to Abbotsford. MacDermid, who wore number 21 in his debut with the Heat, is essentially a younger

John Ramage (left) and Chad Billins defend in front of goaltender Joni Ortio. version of Jackman. Drafted in the fourth round by the Boston Bruins, MacDermid appeared in six games for the Dallas Stars this season, picking up a pair of assists and five minutes in penalties. Known for his tough play, the 24-year-old MacDermid has consistently hit triple digits in the PIM column over the course of a full season. While the move is minor, it remains consistent with the Flames’ mantra of get-

ting younger. With a Flames roster player being moved and the returning player getting sent down, it meant that another Heat player got a shot with the big club. This time around, it was leading point getter Blair Jones, who has potted 20 points in 16 games with the Heat this season. The move paid dividends for the Flames, as Jones netted a goal against former Conn Smythe

Photo: Clint Trahan

winner Tim Thomas with a nice setup from linemate Lance Bouma, helping the Flames to a 4-3-shootout victory against the Florida Panthers. The Heat will return home for Friday’s match-up with the Vancouver Canucks’ affiliate, the Utica Comets. The Heat have lost both meetings against the Comets this season, but will look to continue their solid play to finish out the month.

Cascades volleyball split weekend against Avalanche NATHAN HUTTON CONTRIBUTOR

Jenna Evans reaches for a dig during weekend action against the Avalanche.

Photo: Blake McGuire / The Cascade

Photo: Blake McGuire/The Cascade

Liam Neufeld cuts across the court; his team managed to split their series against College of the Rockies.

This weekend both the Cascades men’s and women’s volleyball teams hosted their final home games of the semester against the visiting College of the Rockies Avalanche. This season has proven the disparity between the two UFV programs, with the men’s and women’s team going in opposite directions since the beginning of the season. The men have struggled, earning only five wins while registering seven losses, and have fallen to sixth place in the PACWEST standings (just ahead of the tumbling Avalanche). The women, on the other hand, have continued last season’s success. They have yet to lose a game and are looking as dominant as ever, easily living up to their number one national ranking. Thursday night the women took to the court first. The Cascades proved their dominance, having little trouble dispatching the last place Avalanche in three straight sets 25-15, 25-19, and 25-16, led by the strong play of third year Krista Hogewoning. Hogewoning added to her already impressive numbers throughout the night (seventh in the league in digs, first in total offense, and second kills). Also impressive were UFV’s fourth-year pair of Kierra Noot and Emily Carroll, who are first and second in the league in blocks, respectively. The second game of the weekend for the women’s squad was another easy win. The bench

took over in the second and third sets, sweeping the night 25-10, 25-14, and 25-11. At one point in the second set the Cascades led 14-1 with their entire second unit on the floor. For the men’s team the weekend was not as easy. In their first game the men played some of their best volleyball of the season as they stayed with the struggling Avalanche and won three sets to one by scores of 25-22, 18-25, 25-21, and 25-20. Although the men have struggled at points this season, it has been the strong play (sixth in the league in blocks) and leadership of third-year MEI alumnus Connor Nickel that has helped them maintain a level head. In the second game of the weekend, the men struggled mightily, falling three sets to one (23-25, 21-25, 25-12, and 21-25). Both squads travel to Nanaimo next weekend to face the VIU Mariners in what will likely be two extremely important games for both the men and women. The men will look to win backto-back games for the first time this season and the women will look to defeat the numberseven-ranked national team and improve to 14-0.

SPORTS & HEALTH

Coach’s Corner PAUL ESAU THE CASCADE

I began this semester with a column describing the goals of The Cascade’s sports coverage under my editorship, and I’d like to

think that those goals have been met. We’ve focused on varsity sports coverage, delving into developments like the creation of varsity wrestling, and the great 2014-2015 basketball scheduling debacle. We’ve brought you beautiful photos, extravagant

quotes, relentless Abbotsford Heat coverage, and even the occasional sprinkling of humour to provide your abs with some exercise. Consequently, I’m pretty happy with our coverage this semester; if you aren’t, you should let me know before I get too snobby and egotistical about our success. This is my last issue as a member of The Cascade. After having worked for this paper as a staff writer, sports editor, editor-inchief, news editor, managing editor (for a single issue), office clown, office dad, office punching bag, and token religious lunatic, the gods of irony have colluded to find me a place in the UFV Athletics department. I’m a little broken up about this, both because it’s hard to envision myself not being involved with The Cascade, and also because it means I’m giving up editorial autonomy (in other words, the ability to run my mouth). So before I depart to submit myself to the greater authorities, to shake hands with the great plutocracy, to sell myself to “the man”… I thought I’d try, one last time, to explain a little about the state of athletics at UFV. This year marks the 30th anniversary of sport at the institution that was Fraser Valley College, then the University College of the Fraser Valley, and finally UFV. What started simply as men’s and women’s basketball has grown to include soccer, volleyball, golf, rowing, cheerleading, and wrestling (as of next year). Four teams, men’s and women’s basketball and

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

men’s and women’s soccer, transitioned to the CIS in 2006, and each team has medalled in the Canada West since that transition. Still, the growth of UFV as a school and a presence in the Fraser Valley have also increased expectations for the scope and professionalism of its athletics programs — often without corresponding increases in the Athletics department’s budget. UFV currently barely meets the requirement for CIS membership, and will need to replace its marketing and communications coordinator before next season or risk disciplinary procedures. The volleyball and golf programs still operate in the CCAA (Canadian college league) because of financial constraints, and the Athletics department itself is about a fifth of the size of the equivalent department at UBC. There are huge opportunities for growth at UFV, yet sometimes growth itself can have painful repercussions. The budget for this current season provides only UFV’s CIS teams with guaranteed funding, whereas volleyball, golf, and rowing were supported partially by one-time transfers from university discretionary funding, and partially by team fundraisers and money from the athletes themselves. Several of the teams have been relying on discretionary funding year-to-year, which means they are in annual danger of being cut entirely (although it is unlikely such a radical decision will be made). The truth is that for UFV Athletics to com-

plete the transition from college to university sports, there will need to be a significant expenditure on facilities, as well as a great investment in administration and personnel. The most glaring current shortcoming is in the complete lack of soccer facilities on the UFV Abbotsford campus. This season both soccer teams played 30 kilometres from the Athletics “department” (a portable next to the gym) at a field in Chilliwack. In the competition for recruits with other CIS schools offering multi-million dollar fields, storied programs, full support staff, and juicy scholarships, UFV’s lack of the most basic necessity (a field to play on) is a big handicap. The Cascades have achieved remarkable athletic success in the past few years, despite the difficulties of a funding crunch and growing pains. We have great athletes, committed coaches, competent administration, and a beautiful gym. What we don’t seem to have (at the moment), is the institutional commitment to free our varsity programs from their college heritage and place them on equal footing with other universities. I hope to be a part of that process once I make the jump to Athletics later this week, and I hope that UFV will also wake up to a renewed desire to do right by our athletes and give them every advantage in competing at the highest level of Canadian university sport.

Moedt and Friesen on opposite sides of the floor for the first time CONNOR BRADLEY

THE GATEWAY (EDMONTON)

Although last weekend’s basketball game at the Saville Centre saw the Golden Bears reign victorious over the visiting University of the Fraser Valley Cascades by a score of 94–66 on Friday night, the game against UFV held more significance given the recent personal history between the two squads that goes beyond simply being Canada West rivals. With former CIS all-Canadian and ex-Cascades guard Joel Friesen sitting out of the Bears lineup on Friday due to a fractured scaphoid, longtime teammate and backcourt partner Jasper Moedt hit the court Friday against the Bears, unable to face-off against his former teammate. They weren’t able to play one another last year either, due to CIS transfer restrictions on both players. Friesen and Moedt played on the same starting roster for more than five years, starting back in high school at Yale Secondary

in Abbotsford, where they also earned a provincial championship in the highest division in British Columbia. “Not playing with Jasper [has been] a big change after being on the same starting roster for five-plus years,” Friesen said of his former teammate’s absence beside him in the backcourt, and his adjustment to playing at Alberta. “[Although] the team hasn’t changed much since I first arrived, it’s more [about] just learning [a] player’s tendencies in a game situation.” At UFV, both Friesen and Moedt had the opportunity to play under current Bears head coach Barnaby Craddock, the bench boss for the Cascades when the two men played there. When both his head coach and longtime friend and teammate left to be a part of the Bears organization two summers ago, Moedt said that he faced a very tough decision regarding his basketball career and where it would continue. “Last year was a tough transition year,” Moedt said. “I actually spent 3-4 months up with the

Photo: Tree Frog Imaging

Jasper Moedt (left) and Joel Friesen from their time as teammates. team at U of A last fall as I initially came to be a Golden Bear when coach Craddock left [UFV]. Academically, it just didn’t fit,

and my credits didn’t transfer well, so it didn’t work. Coming back to University of the Fraser Valley again this year has been a

brand-new experience as it is a new team and new coach.” Despite not being able to face off against each other on Friday due to Friesen’s injury, Moedt and the fourth-year Bears guard were still excited for the game, even though only one of them would be out on the court. “As far as Friday night goes I am really excited to get out and play,” Moedt said before tip-off. “It is too bad Joel is not playing, because I always thought I would have a good time [playing] against him, but aside from that I’m just looking forward to seeing some good guys and competing.” Moedt led his team in scoring with 12 points against the Bears. Both he and Friesen took a redshirt year during their respective CIS careers due to ACL tears before they eventually started together for the Cascades. For Friesen, seeing his friend and former teammate do well is not something that unnerves him. “He can go for 50 as long we get the W,” Friesen said of his former teammate.

We’re hiring a sports editor. Could you be the one? We’re looking for someone with a passion for sports, strong writing and editing skills, and with approximately 15-20 hours a week to spend with writers, athletes, and journalism. Email Michael@ufvcascade.ca for more information, or to submit your resumé and writing sample.

SPORTS & HEALTH

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

Health Report

Peeling the banana of bathroom condom etiquette CHRISTOPHER DEMARCUS THE CASCADE

What is proper condom etiquette? No, not how to put it on. I think I can understand the instructions – though I’m sure there are also plenty of YouTube how-to videos. I’m not talking about how to protect a banana. I’m talking about the bowls of condoms that have been left in bathrooms on the UFV campus. Is the rule, “take a condom, leave a condom?” Can I take more than one? Am I allowed to doubledip? What happens if we touch hands when we both grab at it? Is it okay if I use them to make water balloons? Investigative reporting knows no bounds. The first thing I learned, was that it is not “take a condom, leave a condom.” Apparently, the bowls of rubbers were not left for a free market of contraception trade, but for health reasons. Condoms aren’t just for preventing babies, they’re for preventing disease. Okay, I admit. I knew that – we know that. But condoms go on the penis. An organ which is regarded as highly private; the most offensive organ in our culture, even

more grotesque when erect. On an aesthetic level, condom bowls don’t feel right in public places. A private bar or gas station bathroom is the native home of the condom dispenser, not the public university.

But health isn’t just the mechanics of biology and psychology. It is the social connections of our psyche, our human spirituality. Of course, we know condoms allow for a 90 per cent STD- and baby-free ride. All the fun with none of the trouble. They get sold to us any way they can: for empowerment, sanitation, pleasure, confidence, and security. We get it. Condoms are good for us. But if we’re going to cross the line with making the private public, why are we stopping with condoms? The bathrooms should have free pamphlets on how to hunt down and prevent breast and prostate cancer. Don’t worry about the cost, we’ll pay

for the messages with advertising revenue from social media networks. Think of the possibilities: the public washroom could become the new private bathroom. Like it or not, how we get down on each other has become public. Whether it’s China’s one-child policy or how Canada gives foreign aid in the form of birth control, sexuality is regulated: the law says condoms are good. We think of ideas like sexual commitment, natural planning, or vasectomy as silly – or even more blasphemous: as permanent. The condom doesn’t only protect us from health issues, it also prevents us from having to make a promise. Thanks to the condom we’ll never get tied down by that pesky ex-human we dated. Condoms are freedom and flexibility. You can enjoy the sex buffet now, and try to make a baby later in life – when the time is right. Biomechanics be damned, we have the technology to drive us into a perfect future. The concepts of sexuality as a “form of expression” or “empowerment” are old. Sex today is about lust and pleasure, nothing more. There is no love. There is no connection. There is no responsibility. We don’t

Photo: Robert Elyov/Flickr

What are the social implications of free condoms in UFV bathrooms? need it. We have the technology to throw each other away when we’re done. Exactly 50 years ago from the time of writing this article, Aldous Huxley died. Unlike JFK— who died the same day—Huxley slipped away quietly in his bed at the age of 69. Kennedy was filmed getting shot by a sniper at age 46. We tend to recall Kennedy’s Camelot over Huxley’s Brave New World. We remember JFK’s sex life more than Huxley’s vision of an over-sexualized future. In our modern world condoms are caring. They are morality. They are the way we keep healthy. They protect us from

the unknown. But health isn’t just the mechanics of biology and psychology. It is the social connections of our psyche, our human spirituality. Perhaps it’s time we think more about committal attitudes and love. About deeper connections and the value of sexuality, instead of the cost of it. Maybe we’d get in less trouble if we kept our penises to ourselves until the time is right. Maybe it’s time to return to building trust instead of lust, or at the very least, learning that responsibility can’t come from a bowl in the bathroom.

Wheat: an enemy of good health? VIVIENNE BEARD CONTRIBUTOR

When I think of a dream start to the day, toasted everything bagels smothered in cream cheese with a thick slice of banana bread come to mind. All too tempting, foods like these leave me wanting one after the other after the other. Some may put it down to taste, but William Davis, author of the highly popular book Wheat Belly, has a different explanation. According to Davis, this craving is primarily caused by one key ingredient: wheat. Davis claims that a diet heavy in wheat-based foods can put you on the track to becoming, well, just as heavy. For lovers of toast, sandwiches, and cheeseburgers this news may come as quite a shock. In fact, it has many people skeptical as to whether the wheat-free diet is a passing trend or a necessary step toward better health. However, wheat as we know it today isn’t the same wheat that people of the past ate. Modernday wheat, especially grown in America, has received a disturbing genetic makeover to produce higher yield and greater disease resistance. While this is good news for farmers and companies looking to make a profit, genetically modified wheat is bad news for loyal bagel lovers and anyone choosing a wheat-heavy sandwich for lunch. These seemingly innocent modifications directly affect the composition of wheat’s protein. These modified protein particles, once stable in

Photo: Renee Comet, National Cancer Institute/wikimediacommons

Wheat isn’t the bad guy, but genetically modified grains are bad news in general. Get with the quinoa! size, become so tiny that they are able to pass into organs of the body they never could when not genetically modified. Once in various organs, they can create damage and cause physical symptoms ranging from mild bloating to manifestations of

brain disease. Genetically modified (GM) wheat has continued to build quite the frightening reputation. It has already been linked to health problems such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. On top of that, GM wheat has also

been proven to contribute to weight gain and excessive bloating. Rather than opting for meals high in wheat, try substituting ancient grains. Ancient grains such as quinoa, kamut, and spelt have higher nutritional

value than wheat, and more importantly, don’t pose the health risks of GM wheat. Ancient grains are also loaded with extra protein, helping you stay full longer and giving the strength to get through a busy day of classes. Despite its name, buckwheat is also a great alternative to wheat, being completely wheat- and gluten-free. Next time you go grocery shopping, look through the ingredient list for food containing buckwheat or ancient grains high on the list, and avoid wheat-loaded breads in your basket. At this time of year, it can be hard to find a Christmas treat that doesn’t contain wheat flour in large amounts. The best alternatives to still get your Christmas baking fix while avoiding GM wheat are recipes that use almond flour or coconut flour instead. Almond flour, simply made by grinding raw almonds into a powder, can be used to bake cookies, cakes, and savoury breads. Similarly, coconut flour is just waiting to be baked up into a heart-warming treat. To find a tried-and-true recipe, simply type “almond flour” or “coconut flour” into Pinterest and the kitchen is your oyster. If you’re snacking on a sandwich as you read this, there’s no need to feel guilty. Remember that moderation, not deprivation, is the key to a healthy lifestyle. Try slowly easing yourself off wheat and onto non-GM foods, and remember to always listen closely to how your body feels.

SPORTS & HEALTH

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca