The Cascade Vol. 22 No. 10

Vol. 22 Issue 10

www.ufvcascade.ca

March 19, 2014 to March 25, 2014

:D since 1993

BEST. SEASON.

EVER. A cross-cultural celebration of colour p. 13

P. 10

The separation of university and fossil fuel p. 5

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NEWS

News

Briefs Chamber of secrets The SUS AGM scheduled for March 12 did not occur due to lack of member turnout. A first attempt requires about 70 people to reach quorum, whereas the second attempt requires only 15. However, not all was lost; while students waited the mandated 30 minutes before postponing the meeting, UFV’s chamber of secrets was discovered and the recently elected president Ryan Peterson took everyone back to childhood with clapping games. The AGM’s second attempt has been scheduled for March 19 at 3 p.m. in B101 in Abbotsford or A0014 in Chilliwack.

Counting the homeless After a year-long debate and the final decision by Abbotsford Council to turn down funding for a 20-man housing unit for the homeless, Abbotsford’s homeless population is being surveyed. 5 and 2 Ministries founder and executive director Ward Draper is leading the survey to find out how many homeless individuals are in Abbotsford as well as who they are.

Clova Cinema closes In the time of digital behemoth movie theatres, AVX, VIP, IMAX, 3D, and so on, classic film-fed projector screens are a dying breed. Cloverdale’s Clova Cinema announced, after a long battle to secure funding for a digital projector and extended lease, that they will closing their doors, but rest assured they intend to go out with a bang. They plan to show as many films as they can get their hands on until the inevitable day digital takes over completely.

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News

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Opinion

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Culture

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Arts

15

Sports & Health

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

Hits and misses of the Career Fair

The Career Centre hosted its biennial career fair with 61 businesses ready to offer students jobs — but apparently the food was the highlight.

How many young people does it take to be than a smartphone?

An entire generation is learning to turn to their phones instead of dealing with social situations and awkward silences. We know the problem, but what are the repercussions? And is there a solution? Thomas Nyte describes his small steps.

Ecology meets poetics

Lightbulbs, friendly trees, and the value of daydreaming: Katie Stobbart has the highlights of Daniela Elza’s GreenSpeak lecture, “Through the poetry of the world: toward an ecology of being.”

A force to be reckoned with

After four years of hearing nothing from Tokyo Police Club, fans get another album — Forcefield. Check out the review on how it compares to Champ, and how Tokyo Police Club has grown.

Playing the transition game

Klaus Figueredo just finished his fifth season of university hoops, and talks to Nathan Hutton about what he’s learned on the long road that got him here.

The numbers, the options, the conclusion With big changes coming in April, is Canada Post side-stepping a future of deficit or quietly disintegrating?

DESSA BAYROCK

THE CASCADE

As a kid, I was an avid stampcollector. I’m not sure I’ve ever told anyone that before; it’s one of those embarrassing facts that aren’t hidden, per se, but which any sensible human will avoid mentioning in polite conversation. But those tiny coloured squares were my obsession for more than a few years; I carefully saved them from my parents’ envelopes and ordered them from the Canada Post catalogue with my birthday money.

Back then, stamps were around 45 cents, give or take, and steadily rose by a few cents every few years. I have an impressive collection of 42cent and 46-cent stamps, each of which takes up nearly a page of its own in a slim blue volume.

I stopped collecting when I hit teenhood, but I continue to harbour a secret love for Canada Post.

Now the idea of a physical message medium is so retro that not even hipsters will touch it.

So, faced with declining use and increasing disinterest, Canada Post announced cuts last December.

Massive cuts.

Five million households currently get mail delivered to the door, a service that will be replaced by community boxes.

Of roughly 50,000 mail carriers currently employed,

Volume 22 · Issue 10 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 Online editor ashley@ufvcascade.ca Ashley Mussbacher Copy editor katie@ufvcascade.ca Katie Stobbart

Canada Post expects to let between 6000 and 8000 go, most of whom they predict will hit retirement age and phase out of the workforce naturally.

Finally, stamps will increase from 63 cents each to an even $1 — although the thrifty eye will note they’re only 85 cents if bought by the booklets.

These are drastic changes, unlike anything Canada Post has proposed before. They all kick in at the end of March: like some kind of April Fool’s joke, the price of stamps will rise, community boxes will sprout on street corners, and mail carriers will retire left and right.

Without these measures, Canada Post says, they expect to run a deficit of $1 billion by the year 2020 — a scary number.

But technology is outpacing tradition; the feel of a physical letter is outmatched by the speed and ease of email. We don’t live in an era of mailorder catalogues and handwritten letters anymore; the average Canadian household only buys two stamps every month, and mailbags are mostly filled with bills or paid advertisements. Rarely does the mailbox hold anything the recipient is excited — or even willing — to read.

Canada Post reported a profit in 2012, but only following a deficit in 2011 — the first in 16 years, but the latest step in a progression of slowly receding profit margins. Canada Post doesn’t draw on tax dol-

lars and doesn’t ever intend to, leaving few options for the ailing service.

But while the cuts have continued to make headlines since December, fewer sources touch on the fact that these cuts were born from recommendations found in a report from the Conference Board of Canada (CBC). Even fewer mention the rest of the report’s contents; cuts, surprisingly, were not the only option.

As it turns out, Canada Post is not the only flagging postal system in the world. In 2012, the US Postal System reported a deficit of $15.9 billion. The German and British postal systems suffered the same downslide.

Rather than cut, they found other solutions.

Both Germany and Britain chose to privatize their postal systems, opening the service up to the market rather than keeping it a crown corporation as Canada has.

“By 2000, Deutsche Post had become fully privatized,” the CBC report reads. “Through attrition, the size of the workforce was reduced by 38 per cent and, by 2010, productivity increased by 20 per cent.”

It wasn’t an abrupt shift, but a gradual one that began in 1990. The effects were exactly what was expected: a smaller, more productive, more profitable workforce — but no blanket cuts.

The other popular option is to evolve the postal service to include banking services,

News editor jess@ufvcascade.ca Jess Wind

News writer katherine@ufvcascade.ca Katherine Gibson

Opinion editor brittney@ufvcascade.ca Brittney Hensman

Production manager stewart@ufvcascade.ca Stewart Seymour

Culture editor valerie@ufvcascade.ca Valerie Franklin

Art director anthony@ufvcascade.ca Anthony Biondi

Arts editor sasha@ufvcascade.ca Sasha Moedt

Production assistant production@ufvcascade.ca Kaitlyn Gendemann

Varsity reporter nathan@ufvcascade.ca Nathan Hutton

Photojournalist blake@ufvcascade.ca Blake McGuire

Staff writer nadine@ufvcascade.ca Nadine Moedt Staff writer breckles@ufvcascade.ca Taylor Breckles

Contributors Martin Castro, Jeremy Hannaford, Jeff Hughes, Melissa Ly, Thomas Nyte, and Tim Ubels Cover image Celeste Dyck

which is fairly common worldwide; Japan, New Zealand, and half a dozen countries operate this way, and the US is seriously considering it as well. Since postal outlets are already a trusted and secure establishment, the leap from money orders to payday loans or debit cards isn’t all that huge.

But this option is one CBC dismisses without ado.

“Canada has a highly developed financial services sector that extends from large banks to small credit unions,” it states. “[T]he conditions that allowed other postal administrations to succeed in banking do not exist in Canada. Therefore, this report does not explore financial services as an option in Canada.”

The board quickly crosses out privatization as well.

“Neither privatization nor liberalization of markets is, by itself, a strategy for sustaining postal services in an environment of decline,” the section concludes.

Which leaves only one option: cuts.

I don’t have the CBC’s experience, nor the information they used to come to this conclusion, yet I can’t help but wonder if they could have looked a little harder at expansion rather than contraction.

Raising the price of stamps — a commodity already in low demand — may well spell the death of what little casual mail traffic is left.

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.

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Art, language, and memories revisited at Kwantlen Longhouse NADINE MOEDT

THE CASCADE

A medley of UFV anthropology students and Langley locals were invited to a presentation in the new Kwantlen Longhouse Cultural Center in Fort Langley on March 14, where artist Brandon Gabriel and UFV instructor Douglas Hudson made presentations on indigenous art and archeology.

The group toured the longhouse and took part in traditional Sto:lo songs and drumming. The Longhouse, built entirely of western red cedar, opened in 2013.

Gabriel welcomed the group as the first guests outside of the Kwantlen community, and described the significance of its place in relation to Fort Langley.

Fort Langley was the first post set up by Hudson’s Bay Company in B.C. in 1827. The heritage town now celebrates this history. Kwantlen peoples, however, see the milestone differently, according to Gabriel.

“This idea that the settlers, the colonial people, came here, were coming to a land that was devoid of people and culture, was not true,” he said. “We were a big strong presence.”

A massive usurping of land and the disenfranchisement of Kwantlen peoples followed.

The land was sold off in parcels in the form of the communities we see today.

The presence of the new longhouse comes as a symbol of the spirit of the Kwantlen peoples.

“It speaks volumes,” Gabriel said. “It speaks to the resilience

Image: Nadine Moedt

The Kwantlen Longhouse Cultural Centre opened its doors for a discussion on repatriation and Aboriginal artwork. of our people, the desire for us to continue on with our culture, despite the many adverse effects that the Canadian government put on our people.”

Gabriel, who is a renowned Coast Salish artist with art exhibited around the world, gave a presentation on First Nations art and perspectives. He spoke on the importance of language and the oral tradition of First Nations people. Despite not having the Western tradition of a written culture, First Nations peoples had a complex,

unique language and means of preserving memory.

Early petroglyphs (pictogram engravings on rock) detailed “life as it was happening” over 500 years ago.

“Art is as much about the human journey as itself,” Gabriel said. “We study and map human history through art.”

A main topic of discussion was the repatriation of artifacts taken from First Nations peoples throughout the history of Canada. According to Gabriel, First Nations artifacts from

British Columbia are second in number only to Egyptian artifacts held by museums. Most of these were taken without the permission of the people they belonged to. Now, there is no system in place to return the stolen art.

Reclaiming these items is a difficult process. The identities of the artifact owners were never documented meaning relatives are not able to prove their direct ancestry and therefore can’t reclaim items that belong to their family.

Gabriel also spoke of criticism many indigenous artists face when it comes to creating modern works. Indigenous art has been relegated to the past, and must conform to idealistic expectations of what “Indian” art should look like.

This expectation is seen in the mass production and imitation of First Nations art.

“The sacredness has been lost in the quantification of the art form,” Gabriel said.

TED-style UFV Talks form a foundation for students to express ideas KATHERINE GIBSON

THE CASCADE

“We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and, ultimately, the world,” reads the TED Talk mission statement — an ideal Student Life is hoping to bring to UFV. Eighteen-minute TED Talk events tackle everything from current business ventures to cultural issues impacting the world. Modelling a similar speaking series, fittingly named UFV Talks, Student Life programmer Martin Kelly hopes to engage students and give them a forum to express their ideas.

“Ideas are like planting seeds or dropping a petal into a pond — they’ll expand from here,” Kelly says. “There isn’t a shortage of good ideas out there — so why not share them?”

So far there has only been one student speaker, with a relatively small turn out of approximately 10 students. Kelly says this has more to do with the program’s infancy, explain-

ing that with anything it takes time to get students involved and aware.

“This is the trial run … it’s a building thing like everything else,” he says. “Hopefully this will evolve into something much grander but it has to start somewhere.”

TED Talks specifically looks to address issues that will open a broad discourse, a fact Kelly strongly believes should be emulated by students wishing to speak at these events.

“Do you have something [to say] that will make a light bulb go off over students heads and get them talking? … I don’t want it to be about a particular issue,” Kelly says. “So not about starving kids in Africa or the conflict in Ukraine or anything like that — no axe to grind.

“The idea is to present any kind of view on any thought that you have,” he says, “that will make the people who come to watch do a double-take.”

Kelly notes that while other events on campus geared at opening up similar types of

discussion are valuable, their formality may be intimidating to students — something he hopes UFV Talks will address.

“Stéphane Dion came. We have Daniela Elza, the writer in residence, bringing in people — fantastic stuff — but those [events] are more formal; it’s a different structure,” Kelly says. “With [UFV Talks] you’ll never have a friendlier or [more] sympathetic audience. It’s very gentle — it’s not

subject to academic rigor.”

In time, Kelly hopes UFV Talks will gain enough traction to potentially become a “TEDx” event, or a mini version of the TED Talks themselves, a potential Martin believes UFV students should be striving toward.

“I think there should be more of this kind of stuff at universities,” he says. “If you’re going to create a vibrant campus community … we need to have

some intellectual pursuits for students to engage in.”

“If you sit here in U-House and listen to the conversations … students love talking about stuff that means a lot to them,” Kelly concludes. “So the dream would be to make it ... a destination — a reason for students not to go home after school, but to stay.”

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Science on Purpose

:/ ;) :( :O :S :D Emoticons: just as good as a real face?

DESSA BAYROCK

THE CASCADE

Which affects you more — a sad expression on your best friend’s face, or the sad-face emoticon your best friend sends you in a text message?

The answer may surprise you: on average, people are beginning to view both in exactly the same way. A happy emoticon might just be a colon and a closed parenthesis, but that simple combination triggers the same chemical reaction in the brain as looking at a happy expression on someone’s face.

The journey of :), :/, :P, and :O began in 1982, when professor Scott Fahlman first used an emoticon as part of an online message board conversation.

As email and other text conversations became increasingly common, it became clear that not all parts of physical conversation translated well into text; over 90 per cent of communication is non-verbal, which includes facial expressions, body language, and all those subtle motions you make with your eyes. For the most part, these supplementary messages help

Image: Anthony Biondi / The Cascade

People experience the same neuro-chemical response when looking at both emoticons and faces. us get our points across in everyday conversation, but are lost in a text message.

Think about the difference between these phrases: Where have you been? :) Where have you been? :S Where have you been? :( Where have you been? :O Cute combinations of punctuation pepper casual online conversation, and help fill in

Career Fair attracts students with food TAYLOR BRECKLES

THE CASCADE

Who needs a job when there’s free food?

UFV career centre’s biennial Career Fair held on March 12 was an opportunity for students and employers to meet in order to discuss potential employment; but many students gathered for the free food instead.

One student commented that the chocolate-covered strawberries were delicious and that they were disappearing quickly, as their only response to how they felt the event was going. Many students were also fascinated by the cotton candy cart set up outside of Tim Hortons, exclaiming that free food is certain to brighten anyone’s day.

Sixty-one employers were present at the event to provide university students with information and networking opportunities, yet many students spoke only of the free samples.

In addition to providing an opportunity to meet with employers, the Career Fair also had a draw for two tuition credits and a tablet, which was drawn from the 1000 students that passed through the fair over its three-and-a-half hours.

Working while attending university has become very normal among students.

Thanks to the Career Fair,

many of those students were able to search for jobs in an organized manner with an opportune location.

Held in the Envision Athletic Centre, employers from all types of businesses came out to meet with future prospects and possibly walk away with a few new employees.

BCAA, the Abbotsford School District, Envision, and the Canadian Cancer Society were among the businesses in attendance. Although there was no private interview area this year, employers still had opportunities to chat with students.

Many of the business booths had high interest, such as Home Depot and Envision, while others saw less traffic.

Some enticed students with pens (after all, what university student can’t use another pen?) and brochures, while Home Depot gave away miniature orange hammers as well, which were a crowd-pleaser.

Other employers had neither pens nor hammers, but instead used enthusiastic employees to wrangle students.

However, food appeared to be the biggest draw for students. With a spread including a multitude of desserts and finger-foods, several students stopped by the food table provided by the Career Centre to have a nibble and perhaps wander into the fair.

at least some of the deficit between physical and digital communication.

They do such a good job, Dr. Owen Churches reports, that we now respond to emoticons and physical expressions in nearly the same way. In a recent study, titled “Emoticons in mind: an event-related potential study” in Social Neuroscience, he tracked the way the

brain responds to both human expressions and their emoticon counterparts.

“Most of us pay more attention to faces than we do to anything else,” Churches told ABC Science. “We know experimentally that people respond differently to faces than they do to other object categories.”

As part of the study, Church-

es and his team showed pictures of faces and a variety of emoticons. Watching the electric activity in the brain, they were able to compare reactions. On average, the reaction was the same for both face and emoticon, but only when the emoticon read left to right.

Scientifically speaking, :) looks like a face, but (: just looks like punctuation.

The human brain learns to recognize faces at a young age, and automatically notes the position of eyes, nose, and mouth to identify other people and their expressions. This is an automatic response to its surroundings, and after enough exposure the brain learns to identify emoticons in the same way.

“Before 1982 there would be no reason that ‘:-)’ would activate face sensitive areas of the cortex but now it does because we’ve learnt that this represents a face,” Churches told ABC Science. “This is an entirely culturally-created neural response. It’s really quite amazing.”

Professional writers share their secrets KATHERINE GIBSON

THE CASCADE

Ever wish you could translate your essay writing skills into a full blown writing career?

For about 70 UFV students and community members, the Professional Writers Association of Canada (PWAC) shared how to make it happen.

On March 12, PWAC hosted a discussion titled “Writing for a Living,” with the help of the UFV communications department, English students association, and media and communications student association.

PWAC is a national organization that looks to improve working conditions for writers, lobbying on their behalf for fair treatment. The event featured a panel discussion, question period, and speed networking, as well as alumni wine. Attendees had the opportunity to rub shoulders with and learn from writers currently working in the field.

During the panel discussion, PWAC Fraser Valley president Lynda Grace Phillippsen encouraged students to use networking as a means of becoming known and recognized within the industry.

“Getting to know people… really intimately getting to know people,” Phillippsen said. “Sometimes, manna falls from heaven — someone has read what you’ve written.”

PWAC B.C. regional director Heidi Turner also suggested that students take the time to

network with other writers.

“Most of my writing contracts come from other[s]…,” she explained, further noting that writers will pass on projects when they themselves don’t have the time to complete them.

PWAC member Ronda Payne noted that becoming a professional writer means accepting you will always be on a learning curve, both outwardly as a writer and internally as a human being.

“When you’re out on your own, you spend a lot of time in here,” Payne said, touching her head. “Know what you’re good at and know what you need help with.”

After allowing the panellists to speak, the floor was opened to questions from the audience and Twitter, using the hashtag #writeUFV. From how to navigate e-publishing to dealing with rejection, these questions gave the opportunity for a more personalized look at writing.

“Learn to accept the emotion … it sucks,” Payne said regarding rejection. Payne went on to explain the importance of being persistent when trying to break into the field no matter what the reaction of the industry may be.

“A lot of the time, you will get nothing back on what you submitted,” Tuner added. “It’s not personal.”

When asked what advice they wished had been given to them as young writers, the panellists were unanimous in

Image: Rick Rake

“Know what you’re good at and know what you need help with.” their responses — know your worth.

“Don’t let anyone influence you,” PWAC member Janet Love Morrison encouraged the audience. “If someone’s influencing your beliefs, that’s not your truth.”

“I wish someone had told me … get a paper file folder and make an email folder … write on it, ‘I am a good writer — here’s proof,’” Payne said.

“Keep emails and positive letters … for those crappy days when you feel like a fraud or a bad writer. “[When you] lose confidence,” she concluded, “you’ve always got that proof and no one can take that away from you.”

With files from Katie Stobbart

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NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

To divest, or stay the course?

Universities across the world consider their investments in fossil fuels ASHLEY MUSSBACHER

THE CASCADE

Students from universities across Canada, Europe, and the US are protesting against academic institutions investing in fossil fuel companies.

The University of Victoria Students’ Society (UVSS) released a statement on February 5 saying students are demanding UVic divest from fossil fuels.

“The UVSS is calling on the university to put its investments toward supporting a new, sustainable, clean, and just future,” UVSS chairperson Kelsey Mech is quoted saying.

The release notes the UVSS board of directors passed a motion calling for UVic to “immediately freeze any new investments in fossil fuels and commit to creating a three-year plan to divest all remaining shares in the industry.”

Taryn Brownell, News editor of UVic’s Martlet, has been following the story on the island campus. She explains divestment is high on the list of topics that were brought up at the UVSS election.

“Newly elected chairperson of the UVSS (Kayleigh Erickson) stated during the election period that she wanted to see a referendum on the topic of divestment so that students would have a say on the topic,” Brownell says.

In an interview conducted by the Martlet, Erickson explained that her reason for wanting to make it more than a board vote stems from the effects divestment will have on student scholarships. Since scholarships are tied to the university’s investment income, freezing assets could negatively affect them.

“There’s always a chance that scholarships and bursaries will be affected and, being a student who has a scholarship, that’s not a risk I’m willing to take.”

Divestment, as a political and economic strategy, has proved popular and successful in the past. In 1986, Harvard University divested roughly $157 million in South African-related stocks during the apartheid era, and in 1990 universities pulled funds from tobacco companies while boosting anti-smoking campaigns.

But James Engell, a Harvard University professor, notes in The Huffington Post there is a difference between those examples and the divestment movement today against fossil fuels.

“Those who believed that the university should not divest its tobacco holdings could at least make the (weak) argument that smokers have some choice. But that is not the case with those affected by climate change — there is no choice, no place to escape, no ‘climate-change free zone.’”

Companies like Chevron, Exxon Mobil, and Lukoil are just a few of the 200 titles benefitting from stock shareholders, and are some of the largest

Image: Windsordi/ flickr

Often universities invest in fossil fuels at a secondary level, meaning the amount they invest is harder to track. producers of carbon dioxide — a fact that is not being ignored.

Students at Edinburgh University handed a petition with 1480 signatures to the principal to divest in “dirty” companies. The Guardian reports that universities in Edinburgh and Glasgow have “agreed to consider their investments in oil and gas funds.”

Another article in The Guardian notes 10 Oxford University common rooms have passed motions mandating that “each college’s junior and middle common room [push] the university for full fossil fuel divestment.”

The divestment movement is organized by 350.org, a site dedicated to global grassroots movements. The name is described as being the goal the site strives for.

“The number 350 means climate safety: to preserve a liveable planet, scientists tell us we must reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere from its current level of 400 parts per million to below 350 ppm.”

Patrick Harrison, a member of GreenSpeak and biology professor at UFV, notes the effects fossil fuels have on the environment.

“The effects of CO2 on climate change [are] well supported, so we need to be careful what we do and the amount of CO2 we put into the atmo-

sphere,” he says. “We are at an all-time high, and we need to be careful that we don’t create a greenhouse effect. We’ve boxed ourselves in; our economy is carbon-based.”

According to We Are Power Shift, a website that connects members of the climate movement, “divestment can be a profound step when an investor decides to make a statement by withdrawing financial support from a corporation that is abusing the environment, the community, or larger society.”

While some schools have announced plans to stop investing in fossil fuels, Victor Luckerson, writing for Time, says that, “large universities with billion-dollar endowments have said they won’t alter their investment strategies.”

In his article, Engell says Harvard plans to remain invested.

“The Harvard Corporation has a strong presumption against divestment, as it should. Otherwise every cause and political debate would exert leverage over investments of an institution that rightly tries to avoid political stances, except, perhaps, on matters such as affirmative action.”

Dean of Harvard Drew Faust wrote an open letter regarding student activities, responding to their call for Harvard to divest.

“[While I share] their belief in the importance of addressing climate change, I do not believe, nor do my colleagues on the Corporation, that university divestment from the fossil fuel industry is warranted or wise. “[I find a] troubling inconsistency in the notion that, as an investor, we should boycott a whole class of companies at the same time that, as individuals and as a community, we are extensively relying on those companies’ products and services for so much of what we do every day.”

Faust also added that pulling investments from companies we are so dependent on would come “at a substantial economic cost.”

Despite the debate to divest, Geoffry Morgan reports in Alberta Oil that fossil fuel companies are not threatened.

“Perhaps part of the reason the energy industry hasn’t been alarmed by 350.org is because executives don’t perceive it as a credible financial threat. Martin Molyneaux, the vice-chairman of FirstEnergy Capital, says the kind of mass divestiture 350.org envisions would not limit energy companies’ access to capital.”

An open letter sent to student activists from We Are Power Shift suggests that divestment in fossil fuels may only need to

be symbolic to be successful.

“Institutions of learning must challenge systems that endanger the future of younger generations. We believe that colleges and universities divesting from fossil fuels and reinvesting in clean energy will deliver a powerful political message,” it reads.

Chief financial officer Jackie Hogan says UFV holds endowments of approximately $9.2 million, where roughly 8.5 per cent is invested in the energy sector, which is comprised of various fossil fuel companies.

Hogan explains UFV’s finances are separated into two categories: an operating fund income and an endowment income. The endowment income is restricted to the purposes of endowment, which is outlined in UFV’s investment policy: “The primary investment objectives of Endowment Funds are to preserve and maintain the purchasing power of the endowment capital and to meet the annual cash flow obligations of the Fund.”

UFV is aware of the divestment movement. Hogan explains that while there is currently no restriction on investing in fossil fuel companies, the topic is on the agenda for the upcoming finance meeting.

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OPINION

OPINION

SNAPSHOTS

Don’t underestimate me Melissa Ly In contrast to my innocence, I can really be quite “the rebel.” So much to the point where I see it in my best interest to ensure the public does not know about my bad-ass stories.

Though I am petite and look fragile, I’m a ninja. Usually when I tell someone I am training in tae kwon do and kick-boxing, the most common reaction I get (and it’s usually from members of the male species) is that I look weak or that they can beat me in a fight.

But those comments cause me to go into beast mode. Usually my attitude portrays an angry response like, “come at me bro!” or, “just because I’m small doesn’t mean I don’t have the ability to kick your ass!”

But when beast mode has calmed down, I know there is no need for me to argue or prove myself. For I have the knowledge that with one of my super-fly kicks to where it hurts mosts, it is K.O. for that fella.

Bruce Lee was small, and no one messed with him.

Put-together — on the inside

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

This week’s theme:

My alter ego

Captain Canuck

I could be dancin’

Ashley Mussbacher

Jeff Hughes

Martin Castro

I own three straighteners, two curling irons, a boatload of make-up, and at least 20 pairs of shoes ranging from heeled boots to flats to runners.

But I am not a fashionista. I don’t even know how to french-braid my hair, or how to properly apply anything other than mascara.

The truth is my alter ego is that inner woman who goes shopping and thinks, “curling my hair with a straighting iron will be no problem at all.”

Right.

Every morning I sleep in and leave just enough time to shower and throw my wet hair up in a bun, no brushing required. I rarely apply make-up, and I pick my clothes based on the weather.

Of course, my alter ego is just dying to wear that pair of stilettos to school, or successfully curl her hair with a flat iron.

But the most important part of my morning will never be heels or hair. It is coffee.

I could imagine it — myself dressed in tights, standing atop a tall building, overlooking a city. From there I could hear the plight of those in need of help.

I’d jump from the building, my cape blowing in the wind behind me, and fly from rooftop to rooftop.

I would protect the innocent, stop the bad guys, rescue the occasional cat from a tree, and walk the elderly across the street.

Call me Captain Canuck, Major Maple Leaf, or something patriotic like Captain America is to the US. The red and white costume would be a symbol of justice and Canadian nationalism.

A great adventure. I could spout off catchphrases like, “up, up, and away, eh!” and apologize for stopping the bad guys — even though I wouldn’t really be sorry.

I would be a beacon of hope for humanity.

But sadly, I have no superpowers, and I don’t look good in tights.

Why isn’t it acceptable to dance in public?

Ninety per cent of the time, I’m listening to music, and at the very least I’ll bob my head along to the beat.

I get odd looks on the bus or while walking down a hallway, especially when whatever song I’m listening to elicits a specific response — like a smile.

But not just any smile; it’s the broadest, goofiest smile you could ever imagine. I could be dancing. But I’m confined to chronically bobbing my head or tapping my feet.

This past week as I was walking into the library and listening to music, Hall & Oates’ “Rich Girl” started playing. My head started moving. You know, that back-and-forth motion you get when you’re playing or listening to music you get lost in. Yeah — that one.

So, four steps into the library and a passerby looks at me with a face that seems to say “get out.”

Well, you know what, passerby? I will not get out. I’ll just keep tappin’ that foot and bobbin’ that head.

Smarter than your smart phone THOMAS NYTE

CONTRIBUTOR

A couple weeks ago, I watched a video on my smart phone about how people are too addicted to their smart phones.

Unfortunately, the video oversimplified a huge societal issue and underutilized a big opportunity for thoughtfulness and poignancy.

How? It presented a problem without a consequence or a solution.

And that’s what really got me thinking — smart phone usage is crippling younger generations.

A couple days after watching the video, I was sitting in a class along with about 20 other early students, waiting for the professor to arrive. With smart phone saturation weighing heavily on my mind, I decided to leave my iPhone in my pocket, sit back in my chair, and take a look around the room.

Literally every person in the room was on a phone. Every. Single. One. My disgust quickly outweighed my fascination and I didn’t touch my phone for the rest of the afternoon. When I left to drive home, I put my phone in the trunk to make sure I wouldn’t even glance at it while I was driving.

The issue here is not the fact that many young people are losing their ability to talk to people face to face. Frankly, that just isn’t true.

The real issue is that more and more people no longer find it important to talk to each other face to face. Smart phones have provided a convenient alternative to facing potentially awkward social situations.

You see, I along with many of you am a member of Generation Y; the generation that has, in recent years, taken a lot of flak for being too dependent on technology. And there’s absolutely no doubt that we’ve seen significant advances in the popularity of personal technology over the last decade. For example, statistics show on Election Day in 2008, there were a total of 1.8 million tweets in 24 hours worldwide. On Election Day 2012, four years later, Twitter states the same amount of tweets were shared every six seconds.

My Generation Y cohorts and I have been living in a culture that has constantly sought to remove the stigma of abusing personal technology, but the truth is there’s absolutely nothing the culture can do to change it.

So this leaves us to devise our own solution. We as phone users must learn to be smarter than our smart phones. We have to think critically about our phone usage.

We need to start spreading the message: constantly being on your phone is not okay.

When we “kill time” on our

Image: Jorge Quinteros

“Something about the way the class was so silent, I could actually hear fingers tapping screens.” phones, we are robbing ourselves of real life experience and leaving ourselves at the mercy of apathy.

It’s like paying for an invaluable university class and never showing up for it.

We risk missing significant moments with friends, loved ones, and perhaps most importantly, enemies. We risk denying ourselves singular experiences of real happiness, sadness, and anger.

I am just as guilty as you regarding this issue, but for those of you who claim you are unaffected by the inundation of cellular technology, don’t trick yourself. It’s easy to tell yourself that checking your Facebook cannot wait. It’s easy to tell yourself that if you don’t know something, you can just Google it instead of actually remembering it.

I’ve been there — but adopting this attitude robs us of two vital

life skills: the ability to be patient, and the ability to be bored.

I encourage everyone to carefully reevaluate your personal definition of “often.” Don’t compare your habits to the habits of others.

You and you alone need to decide how often you should be on your phone.

7

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

Politics and expectations don’t mix TAYLOR BRECKLES

THE CASCADE

“We want change!” “Wait, why are you changing that?”

This seems to be a trend in politics: demanding better from the government while rejecting any potential change.

Take ObamaCare, for example.

I know it’s not a problem in our country, but we’re neighbours.

We’re trade partners. We’re dependent on the US for decent Netflix.

Our fates have been tied together.

However, there is one significant difference between our two countries, other than maple syrup and poutine. That is health care.

Canada is known for its wonderful health care system, and the US has come to want one for itself. What does President Obama do to try to help his people with this desire?

He creates ObamaCare. How does this suggestion go over? With massive mixed feelings.

A Fox News headline effectively portrayed many Americans’ disdain for the idea: “ObamaCare: the impossible enforcement of an unworkable law.” The headline alone doesn’t inspire much hope for the plan. The article goes on to outline how ObamaCare is an utter failure because “if you claim hardship, it looks like the Obama administration is planning to take your word for it.” Basically, according to this quote, ObamaCare fails because it wants to help the misfortunate.

There have been other articles with headlines such as, “Cancer

patient who blamed ObamaCare for ‘unaffordable’ treatment is actually saving money,” and “ObamaCare just made Americans richer without anyone noticing” (both from the Huffington Post). It seems Americans are unsure about what is best for their country.

The moral of this international tidbit is, if Americans don’t know everything about their government and how best to work together, do Canadians know any better?

In our case, many Canadians seem to hate Stephen Harper — evidence provided by the website Shit Harper Did, but though Harper may have done and said some stupid things, he has also contributed some good to our government.

Additionally, what if he becomes another historical hero in the years to come? What if the history books remember him as a victim of an oppressive society, and his initial plans turn out to have some benefit? I’m not saying that will happen for sure; after all, unlike Mr Peabody, I lack a time machine.

My point is, do we expect too much of our governments without giving them a chance? Often, we as the public don’t know all the facts at hand, nor have we been trained for their job.

Political critique is everywhere, and it probably won’t ever go away, but a little bit of consideration for our leaders is needed for sure.

We’re all human, even if some of us are politicians.

Image: Ian Mutto/ flickr

“Do we expect too much of our governments without giving them a chance?”

Image: Cobalt123/ flickr

Letters to the editor

Re: Louden’s silence

I entered a concrete poem to the Louden Singletree that I had received a lot of praise from my friends for and ultimately received an email saying that it was not suitable for publishing in Louden Singletree. I responded by asking if they would let me know why it was rejected so that I would know what type of material would be more suitable for their magazine and to date have not received a reply. Now I know that publishing companies routinely do not answer queries about rejections but surely Louden Singletree is not a big time

publishing outfit with thousands of unwanted submissions. I even volunteered to assess submissions which I thought would be writing but agreed to assess fine art which I ended up doing entirely. However, I was not given the courtesy of a reply to my inquiry. Shouldn’t Louden Singletree at least reply to the volunteers who have taken time from their winter vacation to assess the work of other artists, what do readers think?

Dawn Emile

Hi Dawn, First of all, we’d like to thank you for voicing your concerns and apologize for the fact that you’ve not yet received a reply to your inquiry. Sometimes things fall through the cracks — we’re stressed-out students too! We’re also sending you a personal email with a more specific response.

We’d also like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that, while Louden Singletree is a small publication, we strive to adhere to the standards of professional literary magazines. Therefore, it is our policy that feedback is not to be given to contributors

WE WANT YOU!

— regardless of whether or not they volunteered as readers.

This year we received one hundred and seventy-five submissions to the magazine. Over winter break, we anonymously sent each piece to three readers who provided feedback and a “yes” or “no” vote. Pieces that were given at least two “yes” votes were then sent to us, and we ultimately decided which of the remaining submissions were suitable for publication. In the end, twenty-five pieces were chosen.

We (the Editorial Board) consist only of seven members. Unfortunately, we don’t have the time or manpower required for us to give

feedback to all the submissions that weren’t chosen for publication. Like we said — we’re all students too!

We’re grateful that you submitted your work to us, and we’re incredibly appreciative of all the contributors and volunteer readers. We greatly enjoyed reading everyone’s work — year after year, the UFV community is proving itself exceptionally talented.

We hope to see more of your contributions in future issues!

Louden Singletree Editorial Board, 2014

We’re hiring a managing editor.

We meet every Monday in C1421 at 8 a.m.

We’re looking for someone who is diplomatic, handson, and loves working with people. 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.

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

Write, design, draw, or sell ad space for The Cascade!

(Yes, we know it’s early. But we’d love to see you there!)

8

OPINION

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

What do you think when I say “Generation Y?” Feel like sharing your short-andsweet opinion? Keep an eye out for our whiteboard-toting pollsters roaming the halls.

9

CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

SUDOKU PUZZLE

CROSSWORD Mice and men

2 8 5

by KATIE STOBBART

6

5 3

3

8

4

7 6 4 2 9 9 5 8 2 6 9 4 7 1

8

3

5 6

4 1 9 7

ACROSS

2.

3.

5.

9.

These fellows had their tails chopped off for going after a married woman. (5, 5, 4) Ironically, this mouse is the mascot of a restaurant. (5, 1, 6) This nasty character wants to destroy the Nutcracker. (3,5,4) Everyone thought this rat was the real deal — but You-Know-Who knows who he is. (8)

Last week’s crossword

Sudoku solution

ACROSS 1 EVAPORATION 3 DESERT 6 ECZEMA 8 FUSE 9 DULL 10 DRYDOCK 11 WASTELAND DOWN 2 ARID 4 TOWEL 5 CHAPPED 7 CROUTONS

The Weekly Horoscope Aquarius: Jan 20 - Feb 18: You have a paper to write?

Perhaps it is time to watch Sons of Anarchy.

Gemini: May 21 - June 21: You know how the markets are these days, which is why Jupiter urges you to invest in candy.

2 8 3 6 4 7 9 5 1 5 4 7 2 9 1 3 6 8 6 9 1 3 5 8 7 4 2

DOWN

Answer keys

1 7 6 4 3 5 2 8 9 4 3 9 7 8 2 5 1 6 8 5 2 1 6 9 4 7 3

This mouse was adopted by a family of humans, much to the dismay of their caustic, fluffy cat. (6, 6) This rat appeared in The Muppet Show. (5) A famous cartoon mouse, seldom seen without Tom. (5) The first cartoon character to have a star on the Hollywood walk of fame. (6) The Rescuers are a team of mice: ____ and Bernard. (6) Touted as “the fastest mouse in all Mexico” by Looney Tunes. (6, 8) This white mouse’s diminutive partner was the Brain. (5) This mouse was the star of An American Tail. (6)

9 1 4 8 7 3 6 2 5 7 2 5 9 1 6 8 3 4 3 6 8 5 2 4 1 9 7

1.

4.

6.

7.

8.

10.

11.

12.

Star Signs from January Jones*

*No, not that January Jones

Libra: Sept 23 - Oct 22: Stairs are trying to kill you.

Taking the elevator is selfpreservation.

Cancer: June 22 - July 22: Hamlet is your spirit animal.

Scorpio: Oct 23 - Nov 21: Sick? Tired? Hungry?

Stressed? There’s an ale for that.

Aries: March 21 - April 19: Your vehicle will break down this month. I don’t own a vehicle, you may smugly say. ”Vehicle” is a metaphor, asshole, I may smugly reply.

Leo: July 23 - Aug 22: The word “frankfurter” will feature heavily in your next A-grade paper.

Sagittarius: Nov 22 - Dec 21: Your destiny is tied to IKEA.

Taurus: April 20 - May 20: Crabs are in your future. I urge you to go for sushi and get a California roll rather than waiting for — you know. The other kind.

Virgo: Aug 23 -Sept22: Good grades. Sleep. Friends.

You may pick two for this month. If you are lucky, the fates will allow you to add “eat” at no extra charge.

Pisces: Feb 19 - March 20: Invest in floodlights.

Capricorn: Dec 22 - Jan 19: Your tendency to sport “duck face” in photos isn’t a modelling choice, but rather a parasite living in your face. I urge you to remove it and destroy it before your grad photo appointment.

10

CULTURE FEATURE

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

Underdogs take first national varsity medal NATHAN HUTTON THE CASCADE

The Cascades women’s basketball team has accomplished the greatest feat in the history of the program; they have the national bronze medal and are the unopposed third-best team in the country.

The bronze medal caps off an impressive season that took the team to the CIS national championship tournament, which features the best eight teams in the country.

The Cascades were the underdog in all three games they played, but managed to prove their perseverance and skill level, defeating two higher-ranked teams. Their only loss came to the eventual champion and host team the Windsor University Lancers.

“I’m just really proud of the squad, and I think we

played our best basketball of the season this weekend,” head coach Al Tuchscherer said. “We had the opportunity to play three top quality programs and just had a great experience in Windsor. I’m really happy for our seniors; it’s such an awesome way for them to finish.”

The weekend started with a game against the McGill University Martlets that the Cascades dominated, a 14-point win by a score of 74-60.

The Cascades shone through the play of both Aieshia Luyken (20 points, six rebounds, six assists) and Nataliia Gavryliuk (17-2-2). McGill had been the number one defensive team all year in the CIS, holding opposing teams to only 47.3 points per game all year long. The Cascades nearly scored 47 on the Martlets in the first half alone, and finished strong with a fourth quarter that saw them post over 20 points in a quarter for the third time in the game.

The Cascades didn’t only deal with the feisty Martlets squad, but also against their loud cheering section that was filled with McGill students and the school’s men’s hockey team, who were also in Windsor for their national hockey tournament.

After the game Tuchscherer assessed his team’s performance, the team’s finest on the national stage.

“I thought our ball movement was fantastic in the first half and defensively we forced a lot of tough shots, [but] we started to

glaze over a little bit in that third quarter and they came at us super hard,” he said.

“All our time-outs, [the coaching staff was] just talking to the girls about relaxing and having confidence in what we do and finding something to make it happen. They did, and I’m really proud of them. McGill pulled within four at one point and we got some big baskets down the stretch, and that’s a big veteran effort for us.”

“I’m proud of the way our players supported each other today, not just our fifth-years, but also some of the younger players that came off the bench. The legacy that some of our players are leaving is fantastic.”

The second game of the tournament would prove to be the most difficult for the Cascades; they had drawn the University of Windsor Lancers, the fourtime winner of the tournament.

The Cascades gave the Lancers all they could handle — though they would lose the game 65-45, UFV held them to their lowest point total of the entire tournament.

The Cascades put their best foot forward against the best team in the country; they even led by one point going into halftime. UFV struggled for the majority of the game with the Lancers’ full court press put on by head coach Chantal Vallée, but Tuchscherer countered with a zone defense that the Lancers had difficulty figuring out.

The Sasquatch player of the game was Nicole Wierks, who registered 17 points and collected a pair of blocks.

The final game of the tournament for the Cascades was against their Canada West rival the Saskatchewan Huskies for the national bronze medal.

The game between the two arch-rivals came only a week after the two battled for the divisional title, which UFV lost. UFV went into the game knowing was the last time that the Cascades group of seniors would play together as teammates on one floor.

The bitter rivals fought back and forth all game, hardware and bragging rights on the line.

Not only would this be the last game for a group of highly talented graduating players, but the last before a contested tiered division realignment comes into effect next season, with UFV and teams like the Huskies on unequal sides of the schedule.

The Cascades lost starter Sarah Wierks after she picked up

two quick fouls, but the team’s depth helped to make up for the loss as Shayna Litman and Kaitlyn Brink stepped up. The Cascades trailed before going ahead just as halftime approached.

Their lead never disappeared and the Cascades’ 25-point third quarter put the game out of reach for the Huskies.

UFV star Kayli Sartori received player of the game honours in the Cascades 69-57 win for scoring 13 points and grabbing nine rebounds in the win.

After the game, assistant coach Sean Bosco complimented Tuchscherer and the Cascades’ group of departing seniors.

“This is something that Al’s been working hard to accomplish for years with this group,” he said. “When he started recruiting these girls that are graduating, he had a vision in

mind for something like this. For them to realize that vision is very humbling for a coach. They never stopped believing in the vision that he set up for them, and here they are today as a top three team in the nation. I’m proud of the way our players supported each other today; not just our fifth-years, but also some of our younger players that came off the bench. The legacy that some of our older players are leaving is fantastic.”

The Cascades’ bronze medals are a victorious finish to the playing careers of Aieshia Luyken, Nicole Wierks, Courtney Bartel, and Samantha Kurath. UFV’s next season will be one of discovery.

Photos by Ian Shalapata

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

11

CULTURE FEATURE

Title: Identity Artist: Michelle Auton Medium: Acrylic on canvas Date: 2010

“This painting comes from a series of nine paintings I completed studying how we read gender cues and how these cues can be obscured. These paintings were an exploration of paint and gender representation, which led to my series Gender, now on display at Inceptions in the Visual Arts Diploma show at the Kariton Gallery.”

Title: One Day as Armstrong Artist: Cybil Lee Medium: Acrylic painting on 4x6 rough board Date: 2013

“‘One Day As ...’ is a series of abstract paintings, and each painting is a fantasy role play. I tried to create the views from the perspective of special characters. For this painting, I dreamed about the view from Neil Armstrong (spaceman).”

“My pen drawings are the direct result of my imagination.

I draw with fine tip pens which allow fine detail; however, they leave little room for error. Therefore, although my creations are very free, they also require the skill of a steady hand, patience, and control. I create shapes, lines, and forms with the use of various mark-making techniques and patterns. I usually do not begin with any particular image in mind, instead I just let my unconscious do most of the decision-making for the initial stages of the drawing.

Finally, I begin to see certain shapes or images. Thus, from these forms I develop creatures and objects that are not of reality, but rather creations from my imagination.”

Creative Page This collection of artwork, photography, and writing showcases the unique talents and culture of UFV’s artistic community. Want to see your work on this page? Contact valerie@ufvcascade. ca for more information.

Title (from left to right): Cones, Flower, Shell, Spikes, Untitled Artist: Mallory Donen Medium: Fine tip pens Date: N/A

12

CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

Synesthesia of art and science

Upcoming

Events

Moving toward an ecological consciousness KATIE STOBBART THE CASCADE

Where do you daydream?

This is the question writer in residence Daniela Elza asked of a small audience to start her GreenSpeak lecture on March 11.

The talk offered a unique take on environmental sustainability even from its title: “Through the poetry of the world: toward an ecology of being.”

The talk was attended by an audience of about a dozen, including students of English, biology, geography, physics, and environmental studies.

Elza stood in the foreground of a great tree whose branches stretched out of sight, beyond the corners of the B101 lecture hall’s big screen.

“This is my friend,” she said, gesturing to the trunk, its furrowed bark. “I want to introduce you.” I found myself wishing the lecture had been held outside, where spring was finally beginning to poke through the hard winter ground and the sun was caught up in the fuzzy skin of new magnolia buds.

Could we be introduced to a tree through a photograph?

However, her words also spoke to a new kind of consciousness: could we, in the first place, be introduced to a tree?

Then she drew us to this idea of daydreaming.

“In class!” one student offered as an answer.

“I’ve waited all my life to talk about daydreaming in a school,” said Elza, who earned a doctorate in philosophy of education, beaming. She went on to point out that in our busy, resultsfocused culture, daydreaming is often overlooked, viewed as “doing nothing.”

But reverie, the state of being lost in one’s thoughts, is a power we have not yet harnessed, she said. Scientists are getting curious about things like memory, intuition, language, creativity, spontaneous forms of cognition… things, Elza said, “which writers have been talking about forever.”

From daydreaming she moved on to our perception of the senses. What are they? Taste, smell, touch, hearing, sight…

“Sense of space,” Patrick Har-

rison, chair of UFV’s centre for sustainability, suggested. Intuition, someone else added, and common sense.

There are four acknowledged senses on top of the five we are familiar with. Thermoception is our ability to sense temperature, nociception our sense of physical pain, equilibrioception our sense of balance and acceleration, and finally proprioception, which is the kinesthetic awareness of the body. Elza pointed to synesthesia as well, which involves experiencing two senses at the same time. The word is a Greek compound meaning “joined perception.” She smiled, asking if synesthesia is not what poets have been trying to accomplish for some time.

“We’re still Aristotelian about the way we think of our senses,” she said, noting the importance of the senses: they are how we experience the world. Can we be introduced to a tree?

The poetic consciousness, Elza said, is an ecological consciousness. As an exercise, she produced a lightbulb, holding it up for us to see, and asked us to describe it. A list of qualities

began to form. Filament. Clear.

Symbol for an idea. Glass. Small.

Globular.

Elza pointed out the dark shadow on one side of the glass bulb — it was burnt out. Then she asked us to write down how we thought the lightbulb would describe itself.

“Even disconnected, I still seek the light.”

“I give up myself to be myself.”

“I’ve been a servant of humanity all my life.”

“You are most commonly aware of me in my absence.”

“I illuminate that which is hidden.”

“What just happened?” Elza exclaimed. “It became extraordinary… it made even a burnt-out lightbulb light up.”

She pondered aloud whether a poetic practice could move us toward a greater coherence.

“We need to focus,” she said, speaking of the division between art and science, “on integration and convergence to make ourselves whole again.”

Discussions Below the Belt

Too early is different for everyone ASHLEY MUSSBACHER THE CASCADE

I would like to live in a fantasy world in which society just accepts an individual’s decision whether or not to marry.

Generation Y is being scrutinized by previous generations because we’re not jumping blindly into marriage in our late teens or early 20s and popping out five children by the time we’re 30.

While many of my generation may be pushing 30 by the time they even consider marriage, it does not mean we’re all getting hammered every night at clubs, hopped up on cocaine, and having sex with anything that stands on two legs, regardless of gender. Of course, I can’t speak for all of us, but there is a middle ground. Some of us are actually thinking about the consequences of getting married too early.

And too early is different for everyone.

Generation Y is said to be “much more racially and ethnically diverse” than previous generations, according to social marketing professional William J. Schroer, which many people speculate is the reason a large number of us are throwing traditions like marriage to the wind. I take comfort in knowing that most of my generation is putting off marriage, going against the status quo, at least until they are absolutely sure they want it. How can you make a lifetime commitment to someone else when you don’t even understand who you are as an individual?

That understanding can only

come from soul-seeking through a vast number of different experiences: education, work, hobbies, friends and rivals, and, yes, sex.

Hook-up culture is not exclusive to Generation Y. In fact, according to Justin Garcia’s research at The Kinsey Institute, this cultural revolution had its beginnings in the 1920s. It’s an age-old mindset of breaking out of tradition, only to eventually fall back into it.

But it isn’t all about sex.

Our generation has witnessed same-sex marriages become legalized in countries across the world, watched friends we’ve known for years bravely come out as gay, and experienced the collapse of the traditional family.

In a whirring and dynamic social structure, some of us wonder where we fit. The framework developed by society clearly marks two decisions: marriage or staying single. But it’s not necessarily that easy, and sometimes it takes a little more time to decide what will ultimately make us happy.

Marriage is only an extra step in a committed relationship, not an ultimate goal. Many of us look forward to the “big day,” despite the lateness of the event in our lives, and when we finally do want to settle down, we’ll know we’re doing it for the right reasons.

And with the right person.

That ring is not magical. It does not have the power to make a bad relationship better.

And if taking that extra bit of time to make sure it’s the right decision is what we want to do, it’s our life — let us do it.

March 20 Blood donor clinic Feel like saving a life between your classes? Canadian Blood Services is holding a blood donor clinic on UFV’s Abbotsford campus from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Student Activity Centre in E-building.

According to the Canadian Blood Services website, donators must weigh over 110 lbs. and be in general good health.

If you can’t make it to this clinic but still want to donate blood, call 1-888-2-DONATE to book an appointment.

March 5-23

UFV Theatre presents Romeo and Juliet

There’s still time to catch UFV Theatre’s dark, post-apocalyptic production of Romeo and Juliet! Featuring the directorial work of award-winning fight director Paul Gélineau, this unusual play promises a fresh and thrilling take on Shakespeare’s tragic story of star-crossed lovers. Tickets available online through UFV’s website.

March 22

UFV fundraiser: Burger & Beer Night Do you like burgers? Do you like beer? Do you like helping your fellow students? If you answered yes to any of these, come by the Phoenix Lounge this Saturday for a night of burgers and beer hosted by UFV’s Community Development class. Proceeds will go to the UFV Student Emergency Fund, which supports local students in need of financial aid. For more information on the fundraiser, contact derekanthonyepp@gmail.com.

March 27 David Barsamian lecture

image: Joseph Bremson/Flickr

Marriage is getting lower and lower on Generation Y’s list of priorities — is that a bad thing, or does it give young couples a chance to test-drive their relationship before putting a ring on it?

David Barsamian, awardwinning independent journalist and founder and director of Alternative Radio, will give a lecture titled “Imperialism: Old Wine, New Bottles.” The event is presented by the UFV College of Arts, and will be held in D115 on the Abbotsford campus from 10 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Everyone is welcome to attend. For more information, contact prabhjot. parmar@ufv.ca.

13

CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

Holi festival brings students together

Image: Valerie Franklin

Bhangra dancers perform in front of a crowd of students, faculty, and friends in the Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies as part of Holi, the Indian spring festival of colour and water.

VALERIE FRANKLIN THE CASCADE

If the irresistible thump and jingle of bhangra music didn’t draw you over to the celebrations at U-House on Friday afternoon, maybe the spicy smell of samosas did. Or maybe it was the sight of students smeared from head to toe in shocking shades of red, orange, green, and yellow paint.

It was the perfect day for the celebration of Holi, the Indian festival of spring: blue skies and warm breezes, buds swelling on the trees, crocuses beginning to poke out of the earth. Many of the students were jacketless and in sandals. Students gathered outside for the traditional game of “playing Holi,” where revellers throw handfuls of bright powdered dye called gulal on each other. Celebrants wear white clothing like a canvas, and the brilliant dye dusts their skin, faces, and hair, turning entire villages — or campuses — into a riot of colour.

“Holi is the celebration of water and colour, the time when flowers start blossoming,” Rajnish Dhawan, acting director of the Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies, explained to me. “All of the colours of Holi represent the different flowers and their meanings. Everywhere there is a mood of joyousness, the archetypal mood of spring.”

Dhawan recounted the Hindu origin story of Holi to me: the demon Hiranakashap had a pious young son, Prahlad, who worshipped the god Vishnu.

Hiranakashap was unable to persuade his son to give up his religious beliefs, and finally decided to kill him. He seated Prahlad in the lap of Holika, the boy’s demon aunt who had a boon that protected her from fire, and set fire to them both —

Image: Valerie Franklin

Covered in gulal after the morning festivities, Student Life’s Martin Kelly poses with two of the students who helped organize the event.

Image: Valerie Franklin

The Holi events drew a crowd of students from all cultures, ethnicities, and walks of life. but when the flames died down, Holika had been reduced to ashes and Prahlad had been saved by the intervention of Vishnu.

The story teaches us the universal power of good over evil, and the holiday takes its name from the burning of Holika.

Dhawan also told me another story from Hindu culture of how the god Krishna would go to his lover Radha’s village to play Holi, but was chased away for his cheekiness. People still come to that village from all over the world for a massive sevenday celebration of Holi, during which women playfully beat men in a show of chiding them just as Krishna was chided.

The campus celebrations didn’t involve any beatings, but there was plenty of good cheer.

There’s just something about a seasonal festival full of dancing, music, tasty food, and good oldfashioned paint-throwing that draws people together.

“There are over 300 religions in India, and all of them are different,” student volunteer Sourav Aggarwal told me. “But everyone celebrates Holi.”

After the free samosas were handed out, four barefoot bhangra dancers in shimmering green, gold, and white uniforms got up in front of the tightlypacked crowd and danced.

Many of the faces in the crowd watching them were not Indian, and many of the people I spoke to had never heard of Holi before that morning. The students lining up for samosas, wiping gulal off their faces, and wishing

each other “Happy Holi!” represented dozens of different backgrounds — a beautiful reminder of UFV’s astonishing diversity.

Bumping into Rajnish Dhawan once more in the crowd, I commented on how cheerful and friendly everyone seemed to be.

He smiled.

“That’s how we celebrate spring,” he said, nodding.

Student Life’s Martin Kelly, whose hair was tinted green with gulal, also stopped to chat with me. Student Life didn’t organize the event, he explained; it was the students who wanted to celebrate. Students Gurv Gill and Shyna Kandra were the driving force behind the event, but many others volunteered their time and energy to share the celebration of Holi with the rest of campus.

“The stuff that people really carry with them from school happens outside the classroom,” said Kelly, sweeping his arm around us at the crowd of students. “When I’ve got Muslim

elves at my Christmas party, when we’re seeing Indian faces at Chinese New Year and Scottish and German students at Holi, you can see that the crosscultural connections are being made.”

Sukhmani Dhaliwal, another student who had volunteered for the event, agreed.

“It’s not just Punjabis here, it’s everyone,” she said. “I’m meeting people I never would have otherwise.”

I saw what she meant as I looked around the room: white kids laughing as they learned how to shimmy to bhangra, Indo-Canadians introducing Korean exchange students to their first samosas, Muslims chatting with Sikhs and atheists. As Dhawan explained to the crowd, in today’s day and age, throwing gulal isn’t just a fun game, it’s symbolic; the brilliant powder hides the colour of our skin and hair, concealing our differences.

“It makes everyone the same race, the same colour,” he said.

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CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

Fashion Forward

Double denim: the Canadian tuxedo BRITTNEY HENSMAN The Cascade

Jean on jean, baby. That’s right, everybody, it’s back in town.

When denim shirts came back, I was skeptical because of the baggy, oversized ones from the ‘80s. But now, designers have moulded denim tops to fit the body in the areas that count, like the shoulders and hips. Otherwise, they’re still a loose-fitting top to be worn like a regular button-down shirt or blouse.

The beauty of the denim top is the many ways you can wear it.

The denim top has your back, and jeans will save your butt the next time you’re in a manic fashion crisis.

One of the common ways I wear mine is like an open cardigan.

This gives long sleeves to some of my favorite summer tops, dresses, or T-shirts that are just too cold to wear by themselves in the winter.

Secondly, I wear it buttoned all the way to the top — and yes, I mean to the very top, to the “man button,” which achieves your common “hipster” look.

Thirdly, providing it doesn’t have bulky breast pockets with a button or a pocket flap, I wear it as a layering undershirt beneath my cardigan or sweater with the collar and cuffs peeking out.

And finally, I even wear it with jeans on the bottom!

I thought this was a big fashion no-no. When the denim shirt was “in” in the late ‘80s, the denim was thicker, lighter, and splashed with acid. But usually it was worn with the same shade

Image: Jcjeansandclothes/Wikimedia Commons

Wearing a denim shirt with jeans can be tricky to pull off, but the key is to mix contrasting shades and colours of denim. of denim on both the top and the bottom. Ew! Everyone who sported this look appeared monochromatic and mundane. It’s extremely hard to wear the same shade on top and on the bottom unless you’re wearing black – and even then, if either your black top or bottoms are slightly faded, you’re in trouble.

But you can wear two different shades of denim that actually correspond quite nicely with each other.

I find that darker denim on the bottom with a medium denim on the top works the best. Usually the top should be one shade lighter on the colour spectrum than the bottoms; Google “blue colour wheel” for a colour palette to select from.

So if you’re wearing navy blue or midnight blue denim jeans, choose a medium shade for the top, like an azure blue, dodger blue, or even a steel blue denim.

The lighter shades of denim like powder blue or light sky blue

work best in the summer, and can sometimes clash with dark jean bottoms. Instead, layer those shades over a bold colour top in red, pink, or coral, pair them with white or black bottoms, and glam the whole thing up with some white and gold accessories.

The beauty of the denim top is that it falls under the same rule as jeans — it matches with everything! As long as your jeans are the proper shade, I bet you can wear your denim top with

any pair of pants (and even some of your skirts) that are folded away nicely in your closet.

You should never be in a panic for what to throw on before class when your denim shirt waits to greet you with open arms. The denim top has your back, and jeans will save your butt the next time you’re in a manic fashion crisis. In this denim duo you’ll be deemed a patriotic citizen as you walk down the road looking sleek in your Canadian tuxedo.

Canadian Writers Series: an afternoon of poetry BRITTNEY HENSMAN The Cascade

Fresh coffee and warm cookies greeted us at the Press Café, where many of UFV’s students and faculty gathered together for an afternoon of poetry on March 13.

With her graceful gestures, kind eyes, and soothing Bulgarian accent, Daniela Elza, UFV’s writer in residence and one of the event’s organizers, invited us to lend our ears to some of our finest local poets.

The audience sat at ease as the first reader, Rob Taylor, shared some of his poetry from his book of poems entitled The Other Side of Ourselves. With his words, he effectively took us to a place of shared human feeling. His poems reflected much of our everyday, relatable life experiences regarding interactions with the people closest to us: mothers, spouses, even ourselves.

“Rob always gets me to the place where I’m almost about to cry,” Elza said after Taylor finished.

Next up was Trevor Carolan, one of UFV’s English professors.

The first class I ever took at UFV was with Trevor, and it was one

Image: Brittney Hensman

Dr. Trevor Carolan of UFV’s English department was one of the poets who read their work for an intimate crowd of students and faculty in the Abbotsford campus bookstore. of my favourites.

“He’s always got the best vests,” a friend said, leaning over to me while Trevor made his way towards the mic, and he sure did. Dazzling the audience with a grey and gold woven vest and his classic red leather

tie, he weaved and bobbed to the rhythm of each line he spoke.

As I listened, I waited for him to whip out his harmonica or start singing William Blake’s “Tyger! Tyger! burning bright...”

Instead, he pulled out the lyrics to the Beatles’ “All You Need

is Love,” and performed it as a spoken-word poem accompanied by Bryce Orr ’s acoustic guitar. The audience joined together to sing the famous chorus.

“I love when we bring the music to the words — and the words to the music,” said the

ever-so-quotable Elza.

A reading by poet Renée Sarojini Saklikar followed. Saklikar knows the power of an effective pause; the silence said so much after her words sliced our ears and penetrated our souls.

There was then an open mix session, during which students shared some of their personal written works. Each poet’s different words and voice brought a unique aspect to the poems they read. As one student read, her face came alive and her voice filled with job. Enchanting!

Though we were an intimately sized group, all the poets who shared their work were genuinely pleased to be part of those two hours together with us. Taylor referred to sharing poetry as a way for writers and readers to build and establish community.

Writers are a humble bunch, I thought as I scanned the room.

They’re not flashy, or loud, or toffee-nosed. The gentlemen and ladies who gathered in the UFV bookstore closed their eyes and simply drank in the cleverly crafted words. Words that help us look at the world in a different light, words that we call — poetry.

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

Album Review

Tokyo Police Club — Forcefield MARTIN CASTRO CONTRIBUTOR

When I heard that Tokyo Police Club was going to release a new album, Forcefield, after four years of having heard nothing from them, I freaked out. I think it’s safe to say that Tokyo Police Club’s previous album, Champ, is easily one of my favourite albums. So Forcefield was up against some pretty formidable standards.

Champ was the emotional equivalent of a teenager: inexperienced and angsty as hell. Barrelling down a small-town main street in late July. Running shoes that were probably once white but now boast more texture than colour. Long greasy hair flying about our protagonist’s face.

This is Champ: confused with everything, slightly melancholic, and yet oddly compelling. Adolescence epitomized.

Forcefield is more mature than Champ — but not by much. If Champ was equivalent to careless, confused adolescence, then Forcefield is careless, confused 20-something-hood. You’re more mature, but you still don’t know where you’re going.

“Argentina,” Forcefield’s first single, was met with excitement and general approval from fans. As always, there was that one individual who is overly critical of everything: “‘Argentina’ sounds just like a really long poppy TPC song; just because a song is long doesn’t mean it’s

good!” To this critic I say: well, you’re partly right. It does sound like that. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Sure, this song is more upbeat and pop-influenced than TPC’s earlier work, but it’s still genuinely good. Different does not always mean bad. Tokyo Police Club’s nine-minute-long single actually manages to keep all its energy throughout, and avoids getting boring. Fun fact: “Argentina” was originally three separate songs.

After playing through them, the band decided they’d work better as one.

The only weak link in this album is its last song: “Feel The Effect.” The track feels lazy; it doesn’t really do anything, you know? It just sort of sits there, a halfhearted bookend in an otherwise unbelievable album.

Tokyo Police Club has always had a

penchant for crafting vaguely melancholic songs whose melodies and lyrics manage to stay in your head for days, if not longer. This is certainly true for the other eight tracks that make up Forcefield.

“Hot Tonight,” the second single from this album, is actually not that ambitious at all. It’s probably one of the most straightforward and pop-like songs on the whole record. But it doesn’t pretend to be anything else. As always, lead singer and bassist Dave Monks’ vocals are oddly hypnotic and incredibly visual. As melancholic as the lyrics are (“I had a good time and I’m ready to die”), this song, along with others, like “Miserable,” is guaranteed to make you want to dance, or at the very least bob your head like a buoy in the sea of sound that is Tokyo Police Club.

In terms of infectiousness, it doesn’t get any better than the chorus on “Toy Guns.”

You’ll be singing this for days, trust me.

Forcefield is also a stylistic departure for Tokyo Police Club, boasting more ambitious instrumentation. “Gonna Be Ready,” for example, features a screeching guitar that gradually builds tension throughout the whole track, ending somewhat abruptly, and giving way to “Beaches,” one of the most unabashedly infectious and angst-ridden songs on the whole album. “I am waiting for a knock on the door / you can call on me to say you were right / are you gone, are you there / are you just out of sight?” The whole song implies so many inadequacies and insecu-

rities on the part of the narrator. I love it.

A lot of the songs on this album are about love or relationships. Not in a cheesy Hollywood way, though — more in a troubled, very personal fashion. The narrator in most of the tracks comes off as being so totally awkward that one can’t help but be convinced that his feelings are genuine. “Argentina” includes a line I think we’ve all heard before, maybe worded a bit differently, in so many movies and books that it’s not even funny: “I don’t want to want you like I want you.”

Normally, I’d write off such a phrase as being eight units of measurement over the line of how cliché something can be before I have to stop taking it seriously, but Monks sells it. His infatuation has so completely taken hold of him that he doesn’t even know what to do with himself or how to deal with it. I dig it.

In the end, Forcefield has become one of my favourite albums within weeks of it appearing on my phone. Is it better than Champ? No, no it is not. But that’s only because Champ was easily Tokyo Police Club’s best album, and probably one of the albums I push on people the hardest.

Forcefield is, however, one of the most refreshing records I’ve heard in a long time.

If you haven’t managed to somehow get your hands on the record two weeks before its actual release date, I urge you to buy it when it comes out.

NOW HIRING

Mini Album Reviews

SoundBites

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Frankie Cosmos Zentropy

Dinosaur Bones Shaky Dream

Nineteen-year-old NYC resident Greta Kline has been shyly writing and releasing bedroom recordings on her Bandcamp page for most of her teenage life. In fact, she’s uploaded more than 40 albums and EPs since 2009, which means she’s released more songs in that short span than most artists do in a lifetime. Frankie Cosmos is made up of a trio of musicians that includes the prolific Kline and her boyfriend Aaron Maine (Porches), who write minimalist and infectiously angsty songs about the conventional ups and downs of urban living. Occasional vocal support from Maine — specifically on “Owen” — evokes the harmonies on 69 Love Songs-era Magnetic Fields. Underneath Kline’s simple guitar strums and sweet voice are seemingly innocuous lost-littlegirl lyrics that, upon closer inspection, convey a rich feeling of loneliness and paranoia; they could fill much more than a two-minute song. The album’s crowning jewel, “Birthday Song,” may only be 69 seconds long, but sets the standard for Kline’s startling, frank lyrics, “I think how repulsive to you it must be / when I refuse to do the things you want me to.” While the record clocks in at only 18 minutes, Zentropy is packed full of wit, excellent hooks, and human experience.

Imagine Eeyore on drugs. With a megaphone. Tremolo and reverb cranked. Shaky Dream is a forlorn, ambient journey that so often toes the line between gloomy and downright dissonant that you’ll wonder how it sounds as good as it does. The 10-track sophomore album from Toronto altrockers Dinosaur Bones is a lesson in balance. For every art-rock breakdown, there’s a garage hook to bring listeners back in. For every cymbaldriven beat, there’s a thumping, guitarpicked bass. Standout track “Sleepsick” maintains a sonic equilibrium of discord, love, and ‘60s reverb. The tonally terrifying “Nothing Left Between the Lines” sounds like the soundtrack for a drowning ballerina — in the best way.

“So Brand New” is the happiest song that will ever make you sad, and “End of Life Crisis,” capping the album, is stuffed to the gills with gravelly ambience, oscillating synths, and some atmospheric gloom that’s downright lovely. Shaky Dream is an album that takes two or three listens before it all starts to make sense, but when it does, you’ll be subject to a journey so intense and freakishly raw that you’ll love it more after every listen.

tIM UBELS

THOMAS NYTE

The Editor-in-Chief directs editorial and production staff through all stages of publishing the paper each week.

The position requires a minimum of 16 office hours a week, and is not recommended for full-time students.

If you want to gain valuable writing experience and think you can handle staying on campus for nearly 24 hours a day, this might be the job for you!

For a full job description, check out the employment page on ufvcascade.ca, or email michael@ufvcascade.ca Pay per issue: $300

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ARTS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

Dine & Dash

Presto Cucina SASHA MOEDT THE CASCADE

1 2

Shuffle

CHARTS

Mac DeMarco Salad Days

AARON LEVY

CIVL STATION MANAGER

White Lung Blow It South b/w Down with You

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Varsity Girls Darnit Trust Joyland

Cloud Nothings Here And Nowhere Else

Queens of the Stone Age — “The Bronze Age”

Telstar Drugs Saline

“I’ve been waiting for so long / you can hold it, do me a favour.”

No, you can’t; let go of my medal. I worked hard for this, because I am a 2013/14 Women’s Cascades basketball player, and I rank in the top three teams in this vast country.

Speedy Ortiz Real Hair n.213 Rejectamenta

Robyn — “Konichiwa Bitches” The Cascades can “count you out like a mathematician,” or “tear you down like I’m in demolition.”

They’re “so very hot” that when they “rob your mansion, you ain’t call the cops / you call the fire station.” Getting no love from Windsor commentators, Coach Al and co. really “supersized them.”

Tough Age Tough Age Heaven for Real Hero’s Code

Fountain Fountain

Sloan — “The Good in Everyone” I think I’ve shuffled this song before, but it’s a testament to the UFV coaching staff, in particular coaches Al Tuchscherer and Anthony Luyken, whose ability to find the best in their players has finally paid off on the national stage.

Flanked by Alexa McCarthy and Sean Bosko, they’re here. Print it.

Jonwayne Rap Album One The Pack A.D. Do Not Engage Ghost Beach Blonde

Tom Petty — “Last Dance with Mary Jane” A tribute to Sam Kurath, Courtney Bartel, Nicole Wierks, and Aieisha Luyken, who sign off on their Canadian Inter-University Sport careers with about as high a note as they possibly could. No one actually said it was impossible, but to posit these Cascades as tournament underdogs is understating a fact.

The Ketamines Stay Awake b/w Al ways Small

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Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light On Everything

17 18

Dum Dum Girls Too True

New Vaders Dynamic Traxx Vol. 1

19 20

Haim Days Are Gone Real Estate

Atlas

CIVL station manager Aaron Levy is honoured to have performed play-by-play duties for UFV Cascades basketball teams for the past four years. Relive the memories on demand at canadawest.tv, and see how a team of Fraser Valley locals, plus one gritty Ukrainian and a stellar post from Centennial High in Coquitlam, brought home the Canada bronze.

U2 — “Pride (In the Name of Love)”

In the name of the game you put your body on the line. Kaitlyn Brink looked out for the count as of game one against the Dinos, but came back with three days to go before the national tournament, playing big minutes like Nicole Wierks has while injured for two seasons.

33640 South Fraser Way (at Five Corners), Abbotsford Appies up to $8.50 Entries $9 to $15 Gelato $5.50 for a double scoop Presto Cucina says, on the front of their menu, that they are the place to go to “enjoy the flavours of Italy in a warm and unpretentious setting.”

I would have thought the Old Spaghetti Factory was the place to go for that.

But by “unpretentious,” Presto Cucina, perhaps, means “self -serve.” You walk in and order at the front, fill up your own beverage at the beverage counter, then sit down and wait for your server to carry your food out for you. It sounds very chain-restaurant-esque, but the décor, music, and atmosphere are of a nice eatery. The walls are rustic red and yellow, the door frames are brick, and the art depicts Italian apartments and landscapes.

I found it annoying to order at the front, mostly because I’m the type to sit down and take my time with the menu. The restaurant was empty, but I imagine if it was busy you’d feel pressured to order like you do in a McDonald’s line-up.

The other downside is that you have to pay — and tip — immediately. How was I supposed to know if the service would be any good? If I did tip, would service be better? How much are you supposed to tip at an “unpretentious” restaurant, anyway?

The menu boasts antipasti, pizza, pasta, paninis, and dolci.

I thought the pickings were a bit slim for the antipasti and pasta, but they had all the basics.

We ended up ordering bread-

Image: Sasha Moedt

sticks ($7 breadsticks, so we expected them to be pretty good) and their spaghetti special that comes with with a glass of wine.

We poked our noses over at the gelato part of Presto Cucina for a moment before sitting down. The restaurant is split into two parts — the sit-down area for meals, and the gelato parlour, divided by a doorway.

The gelato is presented in classic flavours: strawberry, lime, mango, peanut butter chocolate, papaya, and so on. There were about 16 flavours available. We decided to order some after our meal.

We chose our own seat, in a comfortable booth. Our server — a bit of a sullen woman — brought out our breadsticks first. The breadsticks came with a delicious marinara dip with shredded mozza cheese. The breadsticks were nice, with butter, garlic, basil, and just the right amount of crunch. They were good, but maybe not $7 good.

The spaghetti that followed was beautiful. Both the breadsticks and the spaghetti came on decorated dishes twice the size of your average dinner plate. The presentation of the spaghetti was lovely; the pasta

was curled nicely in a heap, the meatballs lined up in the side with the garlic bread, and on top of a bed of cheese, a single olive.

Presto Cucina’s spaghetti definitely outdoes the Old Spaghetti Factory’s. The meatballs were actually Italian meatballs, spices and all. The sauce was more than just marinara, and I could see the flecks of fresh basil.

The portions were fairly good, even for the glass of wine, which was pretty full for a restaurant serving.

After the meal we headed back to the gelato. I’ve travelled across Italy, and tried gelato in Rome, Florence, Naples, Pisa, and Venice. Apparently it’s not hard to make, because Presto Cucina’s tastes pretty much the same as gelato I’ve had in Italy.

We tried lime and papaya, because citrus and fruit are the best gelato flavours. Prices were surprisingly good; often gelato is overpriced. The lime was almost too tart, but the papaya was golden sweetness. It was a perfect finishing touch to the Italian meal.

Thumbs up to Presto Cucina for good food at decent prices.

Remember not to leave out the gelato after your meal!

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ARTS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

Film Review

Need for Speed JEREMY HANNAFORD CONTRIBUTOR

A calm, peaceful panning shot of California’s Redwood forests is slowly broken by the roar of engines from multi-million-dollar cars racing along the secluded roads. The hum of a powerful engine soon reaches a peak as the speakers let out the thunderous boom of oil, fuel, and carbon fibre.

All of this sounds great, but this feeling of reckless speed comes with a mess of wooden characters, cheesy dialogue, and a plot more absurd than the idea of a Ford Mustang jumping an off-route embankment.

EA’s Need for Speed product is an excellent racing series that has produced some fantastic titles.

It has also produced some that left much to be desired. Need for Speed the film seems to dip into the latter category. Some of the narrative follows the story from Need for Speed: the Run but the majority takes its own path. It follows the story of Toby (Aaron Paul) who is released after serving time for a crime he did not commit. He embarks on a quest to gain entrance into a secret high-stakes street race that will somehow tie into proving his innocence. The overall script is so muddled that tasks that were thought to be extremely important are completed and sometimes forgotten before the final climax.

Throughout much of the prerelease interviews and press coverage, the cast and crew of Need for Speed have sold the movies as being completely real, never using special effects. And this is pretty much true. All the races and stunts are done without the assistance of special effects and this builds a feeling of realistic danger and adrenaline. The use of in-board dash cameras and high quality GoPro footage develops a good sense of immersion and excites inner speed demons. Excellent driving choreography and stunt planning help make some races like the

triple Koenigsegg race a heartpumping thrill ride. But then the filmmakers proceed to believe their car-enthusiast audiences don’t know what they do about automotive engineering.

Enough viewings of BBC’s Top Gear will let you in on how ludicrous the speeds these cars are supposedly reaching are. While a Ford Mustang has several hundred horsepower under the hood and a sleek body design, there is no amount of fine tuning and attachments that could make one reach over 230 mph on a standard race track! In an attempt to up the ante and increase the in-

tensity, they instead straight-up insult anyone who has any car sense. While the stunts are all real, anyone with a basic sense of physics knows it’s just insane.

It’s one thing to push the realm of believeability, but these moments just break the connection with the viewer and waste our time.

As for elements of the games themselves, this film features something from almost all the major titles. The final race follows a track very similar to that of Criterion’s Hot Pursuit while the drifting sequences are reminiscent of Carbon or Under-

ground. There is also the unusual appearance of the infamous Pro Street which Toby’s friends play on a gaming console early on in the movie. Thankfully this isn’t as obvious as it was in 2007’s Hitman.

While the film is adapted from the video games, it still tries to be its own product. This definitely gives the film more credibility, but that is thrown away when characters — like Kid Cudi — open their mouths and deliver cringe-worthy dialogue.

For a film about the search for high-velocity cars, Need for Speed moves as slowly as a snail.

Clocking in at just over two hours, it drags along with unnecessary dialogue, unnecessary characters, and unnecessary plot points. So much of this film is filler and does nothing to offer a strong narrative, which honestly should be second in terms of the film’s purpose.

Need for Speed tries too hard, boasting outrageous speeds, hammy acting, and brain-dead plot devices. While it is an honourable testament to stunt drivers and performers, it forgets itself and goes too far. In the opening scene, there is a drivein playing the classic car chase scene from Bullitt, starring Steve McQueen. This iconic chase is what Need For Speed strives and ultimately fails to be. As Jeremy Clarkson from Top Gear would say, this is rubbish.

Cascade Arcade

One Finger Death Punch JEREMY HANNAFORD CONTRIBUTOR

Stick-figure animated violence has been an ongoing guilty pleasure of the internet for the last decade. There have been hundreds of animated shorts or flash games on Newgrounds and the infamous StickDeath. But while this genre has been present, it has never really changed, and at times it disappears from the limelight.

With One Finger Death Punch, however, the genre seems set to return, offering something thrilling to the simplistic genre.

One Finger Death Punch is a parody of old kung fu movies.

The opening menu is full of imitation ancient Chinese artwork and epic music, begging to get the blood flowing as well as the chuckles.

But once the game begins, the humour is replaced with an addictive intensity. The game controls consist of hitting the two mouse buttons to control the direction in which you want to attack.

The simplistic side-scrolling combat is ridiculous and violent with power-move and freezeframe skull-crushing animations. These elements have no effect on the way you play. You

are still just pressing the same two buttons on the mouse, but the game offers such a cinematic presentation that you feel you’re doing more.

The background scenery and objects are ever-changing, from a lush green forest to a secluded mountaintop. These backdrops factor into how the game is played, sometimes requiring a change in brightness settings.

But the real treat is the objects that appear in the background and how you can interact with them. You can kick enemies

through house walls, nail heads to lamp posts, impale them on upright swords, and perform many more acts of destruction with bows, staffs, and giant scythes.

One Finger Death Punch offers two game modes: story and survival. Survival shows off the great balancing in this game, as enemies evolve from single-hit kills to those that require multiple hits or combos. These more difficult enemies are introduced at perfect times and don’t encumber the player — but they

don’t make it easier either.

This game thrives on presenting challenges, not only through the urge to beat a personal best, but also to compete with friends on leader boards for bragging rights. Despite being a two-button game, it still requires skill, patience, and quick reflexes. As the narrator reminds you, this game is not about button mashing. Doing that only results in missing targets which hinders you for a precious second, during which the enemy can land a crushing blow.

There are so many different styles and combo sequences that I have rarely seen the same outcomes twice. Combos can result in extended range, bullet-time effects, or slamming an enemy with a power attack which, while doing nothing but kill an enemy, is always amazing to watch.

One aspect that separates me from true fans of these intense reaction-based games is that my reaction time is not quick enough to tackle late-game moments when the difficulty ramps up. As with Guitar Hero, I am limited to how fast I can react and eventually the game just becomes impossible. This, of course, is what will make some people love this.

While I do enjoy a challenge, it sometimes just gets out of control.

But other than that, this game is completely worth the $5. Some may argue that it could be a free internet Flash game, but this game would lag horribly and likely be prone to crash on that platform.

This small game is a much larger package than it seems. My personal favourite parts are the dark dramatic scenes involving a light saber or nunchakus. These figures cast their shadows on the screen as they clash in bloody silhouette combat.

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SPORTS & HEALTH

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

Heat Report

College prospects making significant strides also played himself into contention for the Hobey Baker Award during his senior year. While he is a long shot to make the top 10 list of finalists, the 21-year-old Arnold put up impressive numbers in his final season, tallying 12 goals and 44 points. Arnold is bound to turn pro next year, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see Arnold get a taste of professional hockey with the Heat this spring to prepare him for what’s to come next fall.

TIM UBELS

CONTRIBUTOR

With the Abbotsford Heat struggling for a playoff position in the tight Western Conference, losing nine of their last 10 games, the team is an example of the other side of what happens when an NHL team begins to try out its next generation, having given up core players to the shorthanded Calgary Flames.

The team’s recent freefall in the standings is alarming, but not entirely unexpected considering the current state of their lineup.

Injuries and call-ups are always part of the game, and teams certainly don’t like to make excuses, but the situation in Abbotsford is exceptionally dire.

The Heat can only look ahead at this point. Though the return of Max Reinhart this past weekend against the Utica Comets provided a momentary boost, the Heat also could receive a more long-term spark from prospects that are finishing up their seasons at the college level.

Johnny Gaudreau — Left wing Johnny Gaudreau, 20, continues to harness his skills at the NCAA level, as the junior at Boston College is currently in contention for the 2013 Hobey

Image: Galatians Design Company/Flickr

College prospects like Jon Gillies could find themselves playing in the AHL soon, depending on what scouts think.

Baker Award, college hockey’s most prestigious honour. At only 5’8, his biggest strength lies with his puck-handling skills.

He’s quick on the puck and has a nose for the net, picking up a notable 30 goals and 64 points in only 34 games for Boston College. Gaudreau has one more year of eligibility to improve his size in order to make the jump to the professional level, but management could have other ideas if they feel his play is far

enough along to warrant a callup to the Heat.

Mark Jankowski — Centre The Flames’ first-round selection in the 2012 NHL entry draft, Mark Jankowski, is a bit of an enigma. Jankowski was drafted 21st overall despite being ranked as a mid-to-late second-round selection, so his development is hard to outline. He plays a well-balanced and two-way game, slotting in

nicely as the second-line centre for Providence College this season. Despite somewhat average numbers for a college player (11 goals and 22 points), his play was good enough to elicit an invite from Team Canada for their junior camp for the 2014 World Junior Championships, which is never a bad sign.

Jon Gillies – Goaltender With the play of Joni Ortio now a feature of the Flames, the Heat’s goaltending situation remains a question mark. That’s where Providence Friars ‘tender Jon Gillies comes in. With no sign of a sophomore slump, Gillies started the season on a tear, finishing with a 16-7-5 record and a .927 save percentage.

Gillies is also in the running for the Hobey Baker. With the makeshift duo of former ECHL netminders Oliver Roy and the recently signed Aaron Dell struggling to hold down the fort in Abbotsford, Gillies’ arrival in the near future will be one to look forward to.

Bill Arnold — Centre Playing alongside Gaudreau at Boston College, Bill Arnold has

Even a small error can lead to Tylenol overdose NADINE MOEDT THE CASCADE

Take one tablet every four hours as needed, the Tylenol container meekly suggests. Read the complete label; follow all the directions. Apart from a few bold words, the instructions are docile and placid. Like the safety instruction routine dutifully carried out by airline stewards before each flight, the words, repeated ad nauseam, have lost their power to grip regular users.

However, a recent Toronto Star investigation found that acetaminophen, the active ingredient in pain-killers like Tylenol, Benylin, Neocitran, and Nyquil, is a little more volatile than the label lets on.

In the last decade, acetaminophen has sent nearly 13,000 Canadians to the hospital, and been a major or contributing cause in the deaths of hundreds more. Health Canada has received 2402 reports of acetaminophen overdose cases since 2005; among these, 287 were fatal. While acetaminophen is a common means of attempting suicide, many cases of overdose are accidental, caused by taking relatively little over the recommended dose.

Billions of pills containing acetaminophen are taken as directed on the label without adverse reactions worldwide,

but there is serious danger associated with even the slightest overdose (more than 4000 mg or eight extra strength tablets).

Most of us have had those nights where, surrounded by used Kleenex, we reach for the Nyquil indiscriminately in an attempt to shake the symptoms of a cold. The accessibility of the drug — and in turn our lack of understanding of the risks involved — makes even the most benevolent-seeming drugs potentially hazardous. We think nothing of popping a pill or two over the recommended dose, yet that might be enough to cause serious harm. It’s just Tylenol, we think, how dangerous could it be?

Acetaminophen is older than any regulatory standards that might be imposed on it; it was first introduced to the market in 1893. According the Star, if acetaminophen was entering the market now as a new drug, it would not be available to the public without a prescription.

Gerry Harrington, director of public affairs for Consumer Health Products Canada explained to the Star that while it’s an exceptionally safe drug when taken appropriately in comparison to other similar drugs, the overdose risks make it a “real standout.”

“There’s a sharp veering into danger if you’re reckless with it,” Harrington said.

In a culture that throws the “no pain no gain” cliché out

Image: Jerry Bowley/Flickr

It can be easy to add a pill or two to the label’s suggested dose, but recent studies show this might not be smart. the window at the hint of a headache, the danger lies in the abundance of too-accessible drugs without the same level of information.

Consider using alternative methods of pain and cold relief if a Tylenol or dose of Neocitran isn’t doing the trick; tea and creamed honey may be more placebo than real medication,

but it acts as a comfort. Boiling half a lemon with some grated ginger root relieves stress in your throat; if it’s a headache that requires a Tylenol, consider employing more preventative methods. Headaches are often caused by mild dehydration and can be easily deterred.

However, if using acetaminophen, or any other non-prescrip-

tion drug for that matter, is the only effective method, make sure you take the label seriously.

The margin of error between a safe dose and an overdose is much smaller than you think.

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SPORTS & HEALTH

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

UFV Legends: Klaus Figueredo be taken care of, so I decided to stay. I mean, I like Barnaby — he is a good guy and he treated me very well, but this is the situation — I grew upon UFV as it grew upon me.

NATHAN HUTTON THE CASCADE

Height: 6’0 Hometown: St. Albert, Alberta High School: St. Albert High School

“I am a very open person and like to take ad-

Klaus Figueredo came to UFV for the 2011-2012 season after spending his first post-secondary basketball years at the Northern Alberta Iinstitute of Technology. His leadership on and off the court since then has propelled the Cascades to backto-back Canada West final four appearances. Figueredo’s play and upbeat attitude made him one of the most distinctive talents on Adam Friesen’s squad, which is why his skill on the court will be missed next year. This season, Figueredo’s fifth, was his last of eligibility.

vantage of every opportunity given to me so I decided to give UFV a visit and it turned out to be a school I would highly consider. The rest is history.”

Can you talk about the Lethbridge series this year?

It was exciting for us getting out of that first-round playoff. I mean, looking at the team at the beginning of the year, a lot of people doubted us and we didn’t even know how far we could go.

That was like the cherry on top, making it to the [Canada West] final four.

What Cascade team was your favourite?

I wouldn’t say any particular Cascade team is my favourite.

Each team had a different dynamic to it. Rather than saying which team is my favourite, each team had moments which are most memorable. With [my] first year here at UFV, the most memorable moment was having the chance to experience nationals that year, heading out east to Halifax. The next year after that it would be the first-round playoff game against Saskatchewan game three to get us to the Canada West final four. And this year there were a couple: our first two league games against Lethbridge and Calgary, where we got the sweep starting off the year on a good note, the 16-game win streak and then sweeping Lethbridge in the first-round playoff series to make Canada West final four.

Once you made it through, the final four was disappointing. Can you talk about that and why the team struggled so much?

I mean, what can you do? It was three teams that we hadn’t beaten all year. The first game [against the University of Victoria Vikes] was heartbreaking with things not going the way we wanted them to and shots not going down, that was a huge thing. Throughout the whole year we depended on the threepoint line, but when push came to shove it disappeared from us.

Then, as for the second game, we went in like, “okay, let’s bring home a medal and there is a possibility of a wild card,” which Saskatchewan ended up getting after they beat us. Not to say that we would have gotten it or that we could have gotten it, [but] it still hurts and it was a situation where we didn’t shoot very well.

In 2011 you came to UFV after spending the first part of your career at NAIT. What went into making that transfer?

I was at a transitional point in my career. After doing two years at NAIT, I decided to take a year off, not knowing exactly where I wanted to go next. I was looking at a few universities that I had been in contact with out of high school ... none of which were showing a great interest. Randomly I recieved a phone call from Barnaby Craddock asking me whether I would consider UFV (at the time I had no idea what and where UFV even was) as a viable option to continue my career. I am a very open person and like to take advantage of every opportunity given to me so I decided to give UFV a visit and it turned out to be a school I would highly consider. The rest is history.

Image: Tree Frog Imaging

Klaus Figueredo saw a lot of change during his UFV career, but was a constant, putting up points with grit and skill.

What have been the highs and lows of playing at UFV? It’s all been kind of good. I mean there was a lot of adversity after my first year — Barnaby recruited me here and then he left, and then a lot of players decided to leave with him, but it’s just another stepping stone that we had to get over. In terms of adversity, the following year we had Adam come and it was almost like it was brand new again. We had a good year again and then the big three [left] —

Sam [Freeman], [Kyle] Grewal, and JY [James York]. Then again it was like a new team — usually if you come into a university team it’s like five years and you’re with the same people for that full five years. Whereas this team was almost like the college idea — you do your two years and you’re gone. [Finally] this year it was a brand new team again. All that being said, you learn from that and it’s kind of like when there are things that happen in life that try [to] knock

you down; you always overcome it.

You talked about Barnaby leaving — did you ever consider joining him?

No. I had a good situation going here, in terms of school, transfer credit, and everything — it’s too much of a hassle, right? It’s not like I was going to lose any situation I had here [because he left] and he had mentioned that to anyone who was staying. We are going to

If you could say anything to the guys in the locker room, what would you say?

If I could say one thing to the boys, it would be: make the most of the opportunity you have being a varsity athlete. The five years go by quick. There are people that dream about being where you are but cannot. Every one of you guys is blessed to be healthy and fortunate enough to be playing at this level of basketball. You all worked hard to compete at this level — never forget that and continue to work hard. Be a student to the game and never stop learning. You are an ambassador of the school as well as the community; inspire others through the position you were fortunate enough to obtain.

Finally, what is next for you?

Finish up school; get my degree in efforts to continue studying at a grad school for physiotherapy. In the meantime while going to school, I will be on the bench at coach Adam Friesen’s side helping him coach next year’s team.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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SPORTS & HEALTH

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca