The Cascade Vol. 22 No. 6

Vol. 22 Issue 6

www.ufvcascade.ca

February 19, 2014 to February 26, 2014

We are the school of rock! since 1993

Listen and learn

Sitting in on Langley’s acoustic guitar fest p. 12

ESL cuts and layoffs p. 3

Desk Tetris: UFV’s favourite classroom setup sucks for students p. 9

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NEWS News

5

Opinion

7

Culture

10-11

News

Briefs

SUS election season kicks off With board reform on the horizon, the Student Union Society gears up for another election season. Nomination packages were due by February 12 then candidates hit the pavement for their campaigns.

Get informed on the issues and ask them the tough questions: Budget? Health coverage? Student engagement? Exercise your democratic right and shape the new SUS. Polling period begins February 26.

Dion comes to UFV Former Liberal party leader Stéphane Dion will be speaking at UFV on February 27. He will be available to discuss student issues and answer questions in AfterMath. Check back next week for a preliminary interview.

Abbotsford housing proposal defeated The ongoing debate surrounding a proposal for a 20-man housing project to be built in the downtown Abbotsford area has ended for the time being. At February 17’s council meeting the proposal was voted on and came to a tie vote.

Counsellor Bill MacGregor noted that a housing solution is needed for Abbostford’s homeless population, but wanted to look at other sites instead of the downtown area. Mayor Bruce Banman also voted against the proposal.

Have a news tip?

Let us know!

Email news@ufvcascade.ca or tweet at @CascadeNews

Arts

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Sports & Health

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

Gender stereotypes still alive at UFV

At the place where people come to expand ideas and grow as a person, students still feel the pressure to conform to society’s ideas of gender.

The truth will set you free

Or get you nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Noble, perhaps, but peaceful? Thoughts on Snowden’s nomination for exposing NSA’s spying program pose the question of this act being the right gesture — or not.

Reading break to the Okanagan

A wintry holiday with robes, fireplaces, and complimentary wine: Jess Wind breaks down the best Oliver has to offer.

The Girls are back!

Hannah, Marnie, Jessa, and Shoshanna are back, with all their sexual escapades, selfishness, and generational angst. It’s a show whose controversy is controversial. Check out how Season 3 of Girls is going.

To the court!

The men’s basketball team faced cross-town rivals TWU this weekend for the season’s final doubleheader. The sports section has you covered on both games.

Faster, stronger, better... poorer DESSA BAYROCK

THE CASCADE

The Olympics are a lovely time of year. Countries come together, housing athletes in a miniature village of international cooperation and goodnatured competition, to represent how we can all get along and love each other.

But along with the best athletes from every country, a fair number of white elephants show up to play.

You probably know what I’m about to say. At this point, it’s hardly a secret: few, if any, Olympic athletes make enough from their sports to sustain themselves financially. A certain amount of government funding is available to Olympic-level athletes, but a surprising number of Olympians live well below the poverty line. According to a survey done by the Track and Field Athletes Association in 2012, 50 per cent of track and field athletes who rank top 10 in their countries make less than $15,000 a year.

I made more than that last year.

But even more surprising than the sheer underpaid-ness of Olympic athletes is how acceptable this underpaid-ness has become. Where would Olympic coverage be, after all, without the profile of the poverty-line athlete who is overcoming all adversity, so thankful for the last-minute sponsorship this coverage Volume 22 · Issue 6 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

Image: Raven_2013 / Flickr

We demand the best from our athletes, but do we pay to that level? might rustle up for them. We are pointing at the white elephant. We are saying “Isn’t this sad? No, isn’t this sad?”

Every country expects certain members of society will represent the nation on an international level. Sometimes these people are artists, or authors, or musicians. Sometimes they are athletes.

The only thing these have in common is passion — they love what they do. Their creations and performances are the reason they get up in the morning.

I know this because none of these people are paid well, and they may never be paid well. If they didn’t have passion, they wouldn’t be in it.

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

Sports editor nathan@ufvcascade.ca Nathan Hutton

Photojournalist blake@ufvcascade.ca Blake McGuire

Staff writer nadine@ufvcascade.ca Nadine Moedt

Contributors Vivienne Beard, Owen Coulter, Christopher DeMarcus, Jeremy Hannaford, and Tim Ubels

Staff writer breckles@ufvcascade.ca Taylor Breckles

Cover image Daniel G. (danijoint) — Flickr

Tunnel vision is necessary to success, because the big money — the endorsements, the sponsorships, the grants — only start arriving once an athlete is in the top percentile of what they do.

Even being the top of the top doesn’t guarantee funding — woe betide the athletes that compete in unpopular sports.

We’ll put a swimmer on a cereal box, sure, but we have to draw the line somewhere.

Hockey: sexy, very sexy.

Weight-lifting: not sexy. Volleyball: sexy, sexy, sexy. Fencing: definitely not sexy.

So in a catch-22, athletes have to be good at what they do in order to become popular and (they hope) financially stable. But in order to be good at what they do, they have to train as close to full-time as possible — which requires financial stability.

Ever wonder why so many inspiring Olympic commercials highlight the supportive parents? Those parents are still housing their Olympic children. You can’t train full time and still afford to pay rent — not without burning out.

And yet we expect our athletes to become the best of the best of the best on the international stage.

“It was two-fifths of a second!” we yell at our television screens as a bobsledder fails to qualify for finals. “You couldn’t be just two-fifths of a second faster??”

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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NEWS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

Global development studies program puts theory into practice with internship NADINE MOEDT

THE CASCADE

Since the global development studies bachelor of arts was launched in January 2013, the program has had students in placements around the world.

Interns have travelled to India, Tanzania, Malawi, Kenya, and China, while other students have been working with Amnesty International on a more local level.

According to associate professor in geography and the environment and program cochair Garry Fehr, the program provides students with the history and theory of development first, then offers skill development. Everything from cross-cultural communication and advocacy to business management falls into this category. Students are given the opportunity to specialize; Fehr explains that a student could choose a specific area of interest, such as web design or photography, to focus on.

Further, the program offers students an opportunity to practice the skills they only learned previously in theory.

“We don’t want students to just read about the theory of development,” Fehr says.

“We want them to see how it’s played out in real life.

“It’s one thing to learn about cross cultural communication in the class room, it’s a whole matter to practice it.”

About 15 students are currently declared in the program, according to Fehr.

The latest group of students returning from their internship hail from Chandigarh, where they worked with an NGO called Developing In-

Image: Used with permission from Ashley Thornhill

UFV’s global development program sends students all over the world for hands-on experience. digenous Resource (DIR). In a previous interview they spoke about their experiences during the program and their time abroad. Now home, Alyssa Bougie shares some specific experiences during her internship.

Bougie began in the bachelor of science program and first heard about the global development studies program through an instructor in the geography department. She followed her passion for sustainable agriculture all the way to Chandigarh, where she lived in a Janta Colony, a slum with a population of 17,000.

Bougie says she spent time on many different DIR projects, working on everything from giving composting demonstrations and setting up rainwater collection systems to “prepar-

ing empty metal milk powder containers to be distributed as pots” by laboriously cutting the tops off the canisters with a can opener.

As well, Bougie worked on an income generation project, where the DIR hires seamstresses to teach local women how to sew.

“Those women then go on to create products for DIR and are paid a fair wage in turn,” Bougie says. Products like fabric wine bags, purses, and iPad bags are made from material donated by shops around Chandigarh. Bougie’s job was to design products, ship orders, and be part of the marketing.

Bougie did encounter some difficulties while abroad.

“It was very hard to work with people from Janta Colony and get to know and love them,

and to go back to our nice airconditioned apartment at the end of the day while they go back to their tiny one- or tworoom home, sometimes housing five or more people,” she says. “It didn’t seem fair to me.”

Despite the cultural and economic chasm between Bougie and many of the people she met, Bougie says she made some good friends and close connections. In particular, Dhruva, a girl Bougie’s age, made a lasting impression.

“She was very excited to show me around the bustee and always wanted to be around the other interns and I,” Bougie says. “She said she would teach me Hindi, and she did. I know a tiny bit! We got along really well.”

About halfway through the

internship Bougie learned that Dhruva’s parents had arranged a marriage for her, to a man she only had a photo of.

“She was amazingly strong about this despite the fact she was being ripped away from the life she had always known,” Bougie says. “It really made me appreciate the freedom that we have as Canadian women ... I’ll always remember and I hope to see her again the next time I go to India.”

Bougie isn’t sure what she wants to do when she graduates from her program, but according to Fehr, her options are not limited.

A graduate from the global development studies program has the field experience that allows for an easy transition into a master’s degree, as well as the qualifications to manage NGOs or other such handson, ground-level placements, Fehr says. One recent graduate now works in Milan, where he is part of the International Labour Organization there.

The global development studies program operates in a responsible manner; its goal is to show people what can be done with the material they have, and to be able to equip locals with skills so they can operate independently when the students leave.

“Development is not students going in to do someone else’s job or babysit children in an orphanage,” Fehr says. “The idea is to develop capacity, so to create greater skill, strength, perhaps launch a program and get people working on it, but it can’t be dependent on the students being there.”

Cuts to UFV’s ESL funding lead to layoffs KATHERINE GIBSON

THE CASCADE

The English as a Second Language (ESL) department at UFV is facing cuts after the federal government decided to remove $17 million in funding across the province as of April 1.

UFV and other B.C. universities were initially encouraged to apply directly to the federal government for this Citizen and Immigration (CIC) funding, since CIC now directly allocates these funds themselves.

However, the Canadian Press has reported that none of the university propsals were accepted.

The $17 million was used to run lower level ESL courses, which Sue Brigden, UFV’s dean of access and open studies, explains were never intended for

academic purposes.

“Lower level funding is for settlement purposes, for people who are not Canadian citizens and are Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) eligible,” Brigden says. “It’s not designed for people to go into academic programs.”

Although the specific purpose for the federal funding is now clear, Brigden emphasizes the money was rolled into the overall funding allotted for ESL and supported all the offered programs within the department.

“The federal government had been sending the provincial government the CIC funds, which were rolled into the post-secondary programs and into our base funding,” Brigden says. “Nobody ever knew that [the funds were be-

ing combined together]. We were never told until it was announced that the federal government was taking back that money.”

The lack of communication between the federal and provincial governments, as well as the university has the left the ESL department in a tough position. Cuts in financing are leading to cuts to the program’s staff.

“There will be cuts; advanced notice of layoff has gone out to several people,” Brigden says.

“There are people involved and there are people’s lives involved — it’s very hard.”

Had the federal government accepted the proposals, UFV’s focus-shift away from lowerlevel ESL programming would still have hindered their ability to receive this form of funding.

As Ravi Philips, UFV head of international marketing explains, there has been a decrease in the market size for this particular target demographic — especially for universities. Competing against language schools with cheaper tuition and faster learning projections, UFV has had a hard time recruiting international students for lower level ESL. “The trend is that ... ESL students are going to language schools. They’re cheaper, they spend more time on the students, and they are able to somehow make them learn English faster,” Philips says.

“We are doing our best to recruit … but when a student comes to us and sees the amount of fees they have to pay us to learn [lower level] ESL, they go to a language school —

it’s half the price.”

The English language score requirement for international students, which was removed February 2014, stopped many individuals from coming to UFV. While Phillips notes that UFV’s recent amendment to this policy could potentially open up ESL markets in countries without English language proficiency tests like Russia, China, South Korea, and Japan, the federal government’s removal of funding puts a stop to these prospects.

However, Brigden remains confident in UFV’s ESL department as it is currently run.

“I believe that we will still be able to serve the students,” she concludes.

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NEWS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

Science on Purpose

No one likes a fire ant, but we might like the crazy ant even less DESSA BAYROCK

THE CASCADE

Fire ants have never been humanity’s favourite insect.

The species has a few distinctive, ugly features: they’re larger than the average ant, they have an excruciating sting, and to make matters worse, they swarm to attack — meaning that if you get stung by one fire ant, chances are there are a few dozen more on their way up your leg.

But people aren’t the only ones harbouring dislike for fire ants. Other insects are even more wary of fire ants, which smear venom — effectively a natural insecticide more powerful than DDT — on their enemies to disable and kill them.

Now there’s a new ant edging in on fire ant territory in the southeastern areas of the U.S. which might just be bad news for both fire ants and people.

In a study from the University of Texas at Austin (UT) published in the journal Science Express, three researchers discovered that crazy ants have the ability to neutralize fire ant venom. In times of need, they secrete an acid; by smearing it on affected areas they render fire ant venom useless.

Alongside researchers Nathan Jones and Lawrence Gilbert, Ed LeBrun co-authored the study as part of his work with UT’s invasive species re-

Image: Gert Steenssens/ flickr

Move over, fire ants. Crazy ants are the new most-abhorred pest on the block. search program.

To get a look at a battle between the two species, LeBrun placed a dead cricket between fire ant and crazy ant territory and sat back to see what would happen.

Despite a swarm of fire ants claiming the food first, the crazy ants leaped into the battle.

“The crazy ants charged into the fire ants, spraying venom,” LeBrun said to KXAN in Austin.

“I thought they were making kamikazi (sic) runs,” he later told the Houston Chronicle. “But when they got smeared with fire ant toxin, a fate that should have been lethal, they went off to the side.”

Once safely out of the way, the crazy ants curled up to

#ThingsSUSDoes The who’s who of the SUS election JESS WIND

THE CASCADE

With the beginning of the 2014 SUS election and the recent approval of a restructured board, there are certainly some changes coming out of C1015.

Executive Candidates President: Ryan Peterson Vice-president internal: Thomas Davies Vice-president external: Jarrett Bainbridge Dylan Thiessen Representative Candidates Faculty of health sciences: Ria Geluk Faculty of sciences: Cameron Stephen Sam Khamkar Faculty of professional studies: Ankit Sharma Jennifer Trithardt-Tufts College of arts: Greg Stickland Samrat Bhattacharjee Aboriginal: Shayne Stanton

The first all candidates meeting was held in Abbotsford, B101 on February 18. These meetings are designed to allow executive candidates the opportunity to respond directly to student questions.

Questions were presented and the first two candidates who wished to answer were given the opportunity. Board restructure, student engagement, and whether or not to remain a part of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) were all discussed.

A 10-minute question period followed, at which students were able to ask their own questions.

The second all candidates meeting will be held in Chilliwack, Main Hall on February 20. Students will have a second opportunity to pose questions to the executive candidates.

The campaign period runs until February 26, followed immediately by the polling period. Polls will be open until March 5, and students can vote online through myUFV. Complete details to follow.

Make sure to follow @CascadeNews on Twitter for live tweets of meetings.

touch their mouths to their abdomens and ran their mouths over their limbs. Once they completed this routine, the ants went right back into battle.

This odd behaviour left LeBrun scratching his head, so he pulled the two species into the lab to get a better look at what was happening.

The researchers discovered that crazy ants had a 98 per cent survival rate against fire ant venom. When the researchers sealed the crazy ants’ abdominal glands with nail polish, they were unable to completely neutralize the venom — the survival rate dropped to about 50 per cent.

The rivalry between the two species is still relatively new to the States, but both ants are na-

tive to the same areas in South America. This is only the latest stage of what the UT press release refers to as “an ancient evolutionary arms race.”

But LeBrun has no doubt how the U.S. installment of this rivalry will end.

“As this plays out, unless something new and different happens, crazy ants are going to displace fire ants from much of the southeastern U.S. and become the new ecologically dominant invasive ant species,” he said.

There is both good and bad news in this for humans. The upside is that crazy ants don’t share the painful fire ant sting, meaning that they aren’t as unpleasant to deal with. Crazy ants also spread and colonize

slower than fire ants, which makes them a little easier to contain.

The bad news is crazy ants are also talented at stowing away; their natural spread might be slow, but it’s significantly sped up by people.

Crazy ants nest opportunistically in any cavity they can find,” LeBrun told KXAN. “That includes things like potted plants, plywood left around, recreational vehicles.

People are just moving around these ants like gangbusters.”

Crazy ants also have an effect on the natural ecosystem.

As an invasive species, they eat food that would normally sustain other insects or animals — and sometimes those local insects or animals are on the crazy ant menu as well, and have to learn how to live with a new predator on the block.

The consequences are felt all the way up the line to humans, namely in the creatures we use to pollinate our food.

Exterminator Tom Rasberry first saw crazy ants in Pasadena over a decade ago.

“Beekeepers are going crazy over these ants,” he told the Houston Chronicle. “They decimate honeybees.”

While there are insecticides that can control crazy ant populations, none of the options are affordable — meaning that if we don’t watch ourselves, we might be stuck with crazy ants for a long, long time.

SUS board meeting in bite-size pieces KATHERINE GIBSON

THE CASCADE

SUS to create a $10, 000 Scholarship Representat ive-at-la rge Thomas Davies spoke about the creation of a new “Premier Entrance Scholarship.” The scholarship, intended for entering undergrad students, would be an opportunity to have $10,000 a year put towards their education for up to three years.

After extensive discussion, the motion was carried and the proposed scholarship fund was passed.

Fashion design department receives partial funding for grad show Fashion design department head Deanna Devitt spoke on behalf of the April 29 fashion grad show. Despite her request for $1500, SUS decided to grant Devitt and the fashion department partial funding, in the amount of $650.

members at the ABCS lobby week in Victoria, occurring from March 2 to 4.

The event will cost $150 dollars per delegate to attend, with additional funding needed for sleeping arrangements and travel. The motion was amended to include a cap of $1500 and approved by unanimous vote.

SUS sends board representatives to ABCS lobby week VP academic Kristianne Hendricks spoke to the board regarding the Alliance of British Columbia Students (ABCS) and attendance of SUS board

The next SUS board meeting will be held on the Abbotsford campus in A360 on February 21.

A more-detailed version of this article is available online.

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

NEWS

5

Beyond the image Pushing back against gender stereotypes KATHERINE GIBSON

THE CASCADE

With short spiked hair, a bright smile, and an air of fearlessness, Sue Harvey is reminiscent of Pink.

Except Pink is a platinumselling artist and has never had to fight discrimination in UFV bathrooms.

Harvey, a third-year criminology and political science student at UFV, is no stranger to discrimination. From an early age, it was apparent to Harvey that her choice to cut her hair short and avoid stereotypically feminine clothing was a choice open to teasing, as well as gender confusion from adults.

“I was teased [because] I had short hair when I was a kid,” says Harvey. “I grew my hair out once in an off-season in grade eight ... and it looked horrible … short hair just suits me.

“When I was like five years old, I remember there was a point where I gave up and I just started going to the guy’s washroom,” she continues. “In my mind it was easier for me — the world wanted me to do this, according to all the adults … and so I was like, ‘Fine. I’ll go where they want me to go even though it’s wrong.’”

Cut to present day, and Harvey is still facing the same teasing and gender confusion from her peers. During the first week of the winter semester, on a break from class, Harvey was washing her hands in the women’s washroom when another female student walked in.

“I was washing my hands and this girl walked in and said, ‘Oh!’ [then] turned, and walked out,” explains Harvey, “and then [I] heard giggling outside the door immediately Image: Intel Free Press/ flickr after she left.

“I walked out [of the wash- Harvey has been battling gender stereotypes her whole life, but thinks university should be more accepting. room] and there was group “The entire purpose of pret- was right and many, many sol- reminders of the importance of waiting to go in a class and gender misunderstanding surrounding Harvey in everyday ty much any university, with diers before me were right,” understanding and acceptance so I said, ‘Who just came out life.

For Harvey, normal acsome exceptions, is diversity she says. “You talk about dis- when it comes to personal apof here?’” she says. “Then [a girl] who was standing [in the tivities, like going to the gym, and acceptance. This is where crimination, that was one of pearance.

While Harvey acknowledges group] said, ‘Excuse me,’ and open the door for people to you grow as a person,” Harvey the biggest forms right there.” question her identity. says.

The U.S. military’s 17-yearshe does not have all the anpassed me into the washroom.”

“I’ve now stopped going to “The people that choose to old “don’t ask, don’t tell” pol- swers, creating anti-discrimEncounters like these are common when Harvey goes a female-only gym in Abbots- go to university, they choose to icy was ultimately repealed in ination forums at UFV is one into a women’s washroom and ford because, despite it saying, create enlightenment in their 2011. However, Harvey is con- practical step that she believes are a source of frustration. ‘No judgement’ on the wall, I lives and gain experience. So, cerned the effects of policies the university could take in Mostly because, more often would get stared at quite often this is supposed to be the safe like these, as well as the ongo- building more awareness rethere,” she ex- haven out of all places,” she ing discriminagarding this isthan not, the “I wear pink gym sue. Beyond that, plains.

“And at goes on.

“One would think that tion felt among “When I was like person uncomfortable with five years old, I re- the gym I throw if you’re going to be accepted her peers will shoes, I have pink Harvey believes clues out there anywhere … it would be at the hinder and hurt treatHarvey’s preslifting gloves, so I’m simply member there was …

I wear pink university.” others less soing others with ence is unwillHarvey speaks as a strong lidified in their very ‘pinked’ at the kindness will ing to have an a point where I gave gym shoes, I also help break open dialogue up and I just started have pink lifting person willing to push back identity. gym. Even at work I the cycle of disgloves, so I’m against society’s judgement of “I stand up,” about where going to the guy’s very ‘pinked’ at her. A police officer for over she says, “but I have my pink watch, crimination. their discomfort washroom ... the the gym. Even at five years and ex-military, Har- know that there so I try and throw “I find Ellen is coming from. quite inspiring “The silliness world wanted me to work I have my vey has learned how to stand are a lot of peopeople a bone.” pink watch, so up for herself.

Working under ple out there that and every show is that [the girl] she says, ‘be wasn’t even will- do this, according to I try and throw the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy don’t have that people a bone.” during her time in the U.S. milcourage and will let people kind to one another,’” Harvey ing to talk about all the adults.”

While Harvey itary and ultimately receiving beat them down emotionally. says. “All it takes is holding it, which again The effects of discrimina- the door for one person, smilis not unusual,” Harvey notes. has come to accept she will be an honourable discharge for “I went back to class and I was judged because of her appear- her choice to push back against tion and bullying over physi- ing, saying hi, being nice — it just annoyed because I deal ance by the general public, she it, Harvey has cultured a way cal appearance are a prevalent sounds so silly but that’s what finds it discouraging that even of maintaining her identity no source of discussion. The death makes people’s days.” with this all the time.”

These bathroom encounters at UFV there is no real differ- matter what the circumstances. of 15-year-old Helena Farrell in “Am I stupid for standing November 2013 in the UK, bulare not isolated events, but ence in the way she is treated, despite claims of diversity and up?

No, because clearly the lied all her life because of her speak to the larger issue of acceptance. way things have worked out I red hair, is only one of many

6

OPINION

OPINION

SNAPSHOTS

Sometimes you just need to skip JESS WIND Five years at UFV with a degree under my belt and plenty of extra-curriculars dividing my time has taught me many things — among them, the art of “breaking routine.”

Thirteen weeks is not very long, but when most of my minutes are scheduled attending this meeting or that class, it’s only natural that sometimes I just want to hit the snooze button on the alarm, remain on my couch, or simply play hookie.

So why do I still get pangs of guilt when the 15-minute “it’s too late to walk in now” mark has passed on a class I should be in?

Why do I still feel it necessary to apologize for missing class when it’s my grade and my money I’m giving up? And why is there still mandatory attendance in some classes?

I would like to think (and I desperately hope) we are all adult enough to manage ourselves and our time, and to make up for times we strategically slack off during the semester. So I’m sorry for missing class, but really it was for the benefit of my overstressed self.

Hate pop culture references? Too bad.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

This week’s theme: “#SORRYNOTSORRY”

Take your freedom

I stole your pen

Taylor Breckles

Katie Stobbart

Dessa Bayrock

You know that annoying person who will make a reference to every fandom under the sun?

You probably know them as the one who randomly bursts into song at any opportunity, makes pop culture references and just grins until a person nearby catches it, and then takes pleasure in the groans and eyerolling that follow. They’re the one you sometimes just want to smack.

But it takes effort — perhaps even a dash of creative genius — to come up with snappy references at the drop of a hat. The overuse of cliché can make you want to rip that person to shreds, but hey — the reference usage can add to the completion of a successful circle of life! Complete with singing giraffes and dancing monkeys.

You see, I am that person.

Not even a little bit sorry.

I don’t want to learn to drive.

Maybe that’s surprising — driving has come to embody some grand ideas. Freedom, power, agility, competence, and the ability to get to work without much effort.

Turn the key. Besides, it’s a rite of passage, isn’t it? It has become one of the first milestones on the road to adulthood. The license itself is your society membership card.

Some aspects of driving are appealing: the ability to just drive off and go camping, or head into Vancouver for the day. Or not needing to be so mindful of my travel plans.

But when it comes to everyday life, I can’t justify squandering what little money I have on gas, insurance, maintenance, the actual testing process, and those little tree-shaped air fresheners to hang from the rear-view mirror.

I could say I’m trying to be environmentally sustainable, or rejecting the status quo.

I could say people are right when they accuse me of being afraid to drive. The truth is, I just don’t care about it. I’m sorry it’s so difficult for some people to believe, but it doesn’t matter to me.

I don’t want to drive, and I’m not sorry about it.

I’m not a kleptomaniac, and I don’t even have malicious intent.

I am an accidental pen thief.

Class is starting. I pull out my notebook, but wait — I have no pens. I’m frantically rooting through my bag when you, my nearly-anonymous seatmate, kindly tap my shoulder and hold out a writing utensil.

Thank god for you, seatmate!

I have the best intentions of returning this pen at the end of the class, but I forget.

Oops.

Well, I’ll run into you by the end of the day right? Or maybe I’ll just catch you next class.

Or not.

The way I see it, borrowing your writing utensil is a way for me to step into your life for a moment — maybe even a couple of days.

I could walk for a mile in your shoes, but I’d much rather write for a mile with your pen. Knowing you prefer gel pens, or roller balls, or fountain tips, brings me that much closer to you.

But please know I’m not being malicious.

I steal your pen with love. I’ll even give it back if you ask.

Maybe.

Get rid of the science requirement UFV Grad school is not going to care that I took an astronomy course KATIE STOBBART

CONTRIBUTOR

We are not in high school anymore.

Like it or not, we’ve grown up and moved on from the pond in which we circled one another like melodramatic sabre-tooth tadpoles.

Most of us lose our angst fangs when we discover the wide, open air of freedom. We acquire the necessary skills to breathe that air — budgeting, applying for jobs, doing our own laundry — and some of us go to university.

One of the pros of university, as opposed to high school, is the ability to learn what you are passionate about. If biology is your bliss, you can study organisms ‘til the cow eyes come home. If you’re a fan of philosophy, probe those deep questions. Do you love language? You can study it more than ever before. The days of breadth requirements are over!

Well, in theory.

There is still the science requirement. For some reason, UFV requires arts and humanities students to take one science course (with a lab) to graduate. So, if I don’t take a geology or astronomy course — there’s a reason I didn’t go into physics — I don’t get my bachelor of arts in English. I’m no

“At least we’re evolved tadpoles now, with no comically large incisors.” math minor, but something isn’t adding up here.

I understand wanting graduates to be well-rounded and smarter than your average rock. (Interestingly, nowhere in the requirements for a bachelor of science degree do I see arts and humanities courses.)

However, this is clearly an area where the lines are blurred between university and high school.

In the latter, you must complete a variety of courses from different disciplines in order to pass go and

collect your Dogwood.

This is as it should be. One of my high school teachers once told me it was important to learn a little bit about everything and everything about something. This was definitely how I mentally reconciled having to take PE. Science, history, math, English, career planning, physical education, wood shop, computers, transfiguration, sewing, and probably French are all thrown at you by the time you reach grade 12. If you

Image: Anthony Biondi

still want more, you can attend university and indulge in the one or two subjects you were actually interested in. In the meantime, we all emerged from our high school ponds knowing a little more than we wanted to about parabolas, or sonnets, or whatever didn’t float our boats.

University is supposed to be different. In university, you narrow your focus from a wide range of disciplines to one or two. That focus is meant to prepare you for

what comes after your bachelor’s degree. It is meant to give you the tools and knowledge you need to be an expert in your field, to become an even-more-evolved tadpole — tadpole sapiens, if you will.

(Tadpoles again — when did that happen? At least we’re evolved tadpoles now, with no comically large incisors.)

I love scientists. Scientists are great. Scientists are (despite what some government officials may believe) essential to our society.

Scientists are probably cringing at my tadpole sapiens joke the same way I did when someone posted “washroom’s are for customers only!” (See that apostrophe? Alas!)

Some of the coolest people I know are scientists.

But I am not one. I learned what I needed to learn about science, math, and a great many other magical disciplines in high school. I received my diploma. Then I went to university to study English and creative writing.

Yet right now, one in a handful of courses remaining in my degree, one obstacle keeping me a little further from achieving the next stage in my tadpole evolution — is a science course. Suddenly, I feel like I’m back in high school.

7

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

Snowden is not the right whistle-blower for the Nobel Peace Prize CHRISTOPHER DEMARCUS

CONTRIBUTOR

NSA whistle-blower Edward Snowden has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by two Norwegian politicians.

Norway has been in the press a lot lately for getting socialist government right: their national childcare, the salary caps for CEOs, the billions of dollars saved from oil and gas exploration, and their prisons being known as some of the best in the world, with a re-offence rate of only 20 per cent.

But are the Norwegian politicians — Baard Vegar Solhjell and Snorre Valen of the socially left party — right to say that Snowden’s reveal of the NSA’s domestic spying program has “contributed to a more stable and peaceful world order?”

There is no evidence to suggest we are now in a more-orless peaceful and orderly world than we were last year because of Snowden. The people’s cham-

Image: ViteVu/ flickr

“We should be honest with ourselves. We always knew ‘big brother’ was watching.” pion hasn’t made peace; he’s done something greater — told the truth.

Snowden is a hero, but he’s not a peacemaker. He pulled back the wizard’s curtain for a moment, finally affirming what geeks have

New liquor laws could slow border beer-runs JEREMY HANNAFORD

CONTRIBUTOR

As the new law allowing grocery stores in British Columbia to sell liquor gets closer and closer to reality, there is no point in wasting time complaining about it. We can however, focus on how this could help the economy of the local stores in our community and in our province.

We are all aware many Canadians go to the U.S. for cheaper Image: Waqcku/ wikipedia items: food, online purchase package pick-up, clothing, and of will be created to suit liquor sales, course — liquor. A bottle of Jack including a separate cash register Daniels Tennessee Honey Whis- and attendee. They may also folkey is 40 bucks up here, while it low the protocol of other grocery costs just over 20 across the line. stores, such as Safeway in Seattle, Even with the currency exchange who, for security purposes, lock rates factored in, American li- up their liquor.

I also spoke with several unquor is a lot cheaper. So what will change when B.C. grocery stores dercover security guards who start selling liquor? I’d say a lot if admitted there may be more attention generated towards this it works out properly.

Many people value conve- new section in stores, so due to nience over savings, so the ability the increased need for protection to purchase beer and liquor at the and security for staff and customsame location as their regular gro- ers throughout the regular workceries will be a welcome change day, security jobs will be in high demand. for them.

The only negaI work at Safe- “Great — now teenside-effect way in Alder- agers are going to tive I foresee is the grove and have seen almost ev- start stealing the impact it may have on privately erything imagin- booze.” owned liquor able.

Hysterical complainaners, drunk customers, stores such as The Fox & Hound in and shoplifters for example. So Aldergrove, or the liquor store on naturally my first thought about Mount Lehman road. These placthe new laws was: great — now es might run out of business much teenagers are going to start stealing like many of the liquor stores from Lynden to Seattle, which were the booze.

However, I have looked into it closed within a year of the same a little further since then. Firstly, laws passing in the USA. If this bill is handled correctly, grocery stores will be required to apply for a liquor license and it could give a small boost to the adhere to specific guidelines to local economy and maybe stop make these sales work. They will some Canadians from going over not be allowed to interfere with the border for beer. nearby government liquor stores, and they will need to make adjustments in their stores for the new product. A new section in stores

been saying for years: the government is good at spying on you.

After all, Time magazine chose “You” as the person of the year back in 2006 — so it must be you they’re after.

We should be honest with ourselves. We always knew “big brother” was watching. In fact, we probably feel safer with someone watching us over no one watching us at all. Our government has come to replace religion as the “big other” and God no longer “sees all,” but you can bet the cops watch the naughty things you do over Snapchat and are aware of the secret folder on your hard drive.

What Snowden told us is what we wanted to hear. Someone, somewhere, is out there looking at you. The NSA, CSIS, or CSEC is the 12th man of our digital lives.

Isn’t that why we post all of our garbage online — so someone will read it, like it, or share it?

Perhaps the post-office should write a thank you letter to the whistle-blower; snail mail has become the new reliable way to transmit data. And who knows, maybe typewriters will make a comeback among radical activists.

Back in July, Foreign Policy reported that the Kremlin is going to switch to typewriters to avoid security

leaks.

Snowden needs a journalism award, a Pulitzer prize, not the Nobel Peace Prize.

After all, the Nobel was the award that was given to President Obama while he was dropping bombs on Libya and ordering drone attacks on U.S. citizens in Yemen.

We could give the Nobel to the three-year-old boy who was shot in a Chicago public park back in September, or posthumously to 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton — known for performing at President Obama’s inauguration. He was shot and killed in Chicago last January. Both shootings were gang related.

Peace prizes should be given to children that have been forced, without choice, to stop bullets with their bodies. Sometimes we forget war is something much more than a PowerPoint presentation or someone snooping around in your favourite social network’s underwear drawer.

Many classrooms don’t fit students’ needs KATIE STOBBART

THE CASCADE

There is nothing more irritating than hearing the cacophony of chairs and tables grinding across the floor in adjacent or above classrooms during the middle of a lecture. It makes it impossible to concentrate, it disrupts the lecture or discussion, and it happens all the time.

This however, is not the fault of any one class or professor. I have definitely been in classes which have contributed to the chaos. The fact that it happens often seems to indicate a bigger problem. If it is necessary to move the whole room around at the beginning and end of a class, obviously the configuration of tables is not meeting the requirements of an efficient learning environment.

While some classrooms follow a standard organization, many of the ones I sit in are arranged in a way I have never seen outside of UFV. The best way to describe it is two E-shapes opposite each other.

This is a disappointing set-up for a few other reasons beyond the awful racket of table-pushing.

One: there is no logical flow to the room. When professors begin to lose their voices and need to break up the lecture routine, the double E set-up makes group discussion and reading in turn awkward. Who is next in the queue?

Two: nearly half the seats don’t face the professor at all; students must turn their heads sideways to see properly and doing this for two or three hours becomes a literal pain in the neck. The chairs in UFV classrooms are uncomfortable enough without having to twist our spines at awkward angles all class. The alternative is to stare off into space while the professor talks — not the best way to absorb important material, and

Image: Brittney Hensman

“The best way to describe it is two E-shapes opposite each other.” it impacts participation and discussion. How often do you talk to someone’s profile?

Three: as the side tables are usually located fairly close to the walls, students have to shuffle all the way around the wall of the classroom just to use the washroom. Also, students who sit in the middle have to cross through the centre space to leave, which usually means walking directly in front of the professor during a lecture — close enough to give him or her a hug on your way out. Awkward.

Limited access to the door might also make the process of evacuating the classroom during an emergency slower. Nothing about this layout is easy to navigate, and it could create a fumbling, confused escape from the room.

The traditional classroom layout is usually the best option to resolve most if not all of these problems. Tables in rows which face the front of the classroom are the most conducive format for lec-

tures.

It should also be noted UFV offers a number of workshop or discussion-based courses which favour a U-shaped or square layout.

This enables everyone in a large group to see each other. Having one or two classrooms set up and regularly used for such classes would be beneficial for students.

Though there may be other classes which require an alternative set up other than the classic tables-in-rows format, I have difficulty imagining the double E model as the best resort.

I am curious to know why the double E arrangement is used in the first place. Classroom set-up falls under janitorial services; is the double E easier to clean? Regardless, the arrangement doesn’t fit well in a learning environment, which is ultimately the classroom’s purpose.

8

OPINION

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

What is the biggest lie you’ve ever told to get a date?

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

9

CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

SUDOKU

CROSSWORD Hocus pocus

5 4 8 3 5 6 8

by KATIE STOBBART

9 8 4 2 1

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

4

8 3

9 3

ACROSS

1.

3.

5.

7.

8.

Look for this wizard’s coming at first light on the fifth day. (7) Said to be the first owner of a magical invisibility cloak. (7, 8) This lady is popular with kids and has a magic touch. (4, 7) This teenage witch from the ‘90s lived with her 600-year-old aunts Hilda and Zelda. (7) Finish this magic word with a cherry and you may get what you wish. (6)

Answer keys Last week’s crossword

Sudoku solution

ACROSS 2 BOUQUET 4 AVION 6 POESIE 7 FEVRIER 8 LIVRE 9 LUMIERE 10 MAGASIN 12 SOMMEIL 13 PARAPLUIE

DOWN 1 HIVER 3 ETOILE 5 ORDINATEUR 11 ESPOIR

The Weekly Horoscope

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

DOWN

1

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

This is the name of the Good Witch — not at all like her aquaphobic sister. (6) Watch out if you see a circle of mushrooms growing. (5, 4) Bippity, boppity, boo! (5, 9) Greek goddess of magic (6) A word of special magical flourish. (11) You seldom see a magical figure without one of these… or a varia tion. (4)

1 6 2

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

2.

4.

6.

9.

10.

11.

7

Star Signs from January Jones*

*No, not that January Jones

Gemini: May 21 - June 21: When in doubt, throw glitter and run away.

Libra: Sept 23 - Oct 22: If you eat hand lotion, your mouth will go numb, and no, this is not experience talking.

What’s the line for poison control, again?

Cancer: June 22 - July 22: Grow a beard. Seriously. I think you’d look nice with a beard. Or tell you what, I’ll make you one out of felt.

There, isn’t that nice?

Scorpio: Oct 23 - Nov 21: An investment in lederhosen is never awry.

Aries: March 21 - April 19: Palm trees are good luck for you this week. In fact, all tropical locations are extremely fortuitous for everyone this week. And every week. Forever.

Leo: July 23 - Aug 22: You will marry your arch nemesis in a mutual fit of loneliness.

Sagittarius: Nov 22 - Dec 21: A word to the wise: coffee is best when drunk from mugs, not boots. Also, maybe get a little more sleep this week.

Taurus: April 20 - May 20: To make guacamole, blend two ripe, pitted avocados with the juice of one lime, two cloves of garlic, half an onion, and cilantro, salt, and pepper to taste.

Virgo: Aug 23 -Sept22: The next time you crack your neck to make that cool snappy sound, you will actually dislodge several vertebrae and become the world’s first human / giraffe hybrid.

Capricorn: Dec 22 - Jan 19: Farting is good for the soul.

Aquarius: Jan 20 - Feb 18: Alphaghetti is your spirit animal.

Pisces: Feb 19 - March 20: Everyone looks sharper in a suit. Even your dog. Seriously.

Try it. I call him “Business Dog.”

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CULTURE FEATURE

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

Where hippies brew the beer and a The adventures of a reading break spent in smalltown B.C. JESS WIND THE CASCADE

Global TV told us not to go.

According to the weather reports, highway cams, and anyone we talked to, it was supposed to be a treacherous drive to Oliver B.C. — but dammit, it was reading break and we’d won a free trip.

We loaded up the car with the regular provisions plus boots, a snow shovel, snow gloves, tire chains, a reflective thermal jacket, and extra blankets, just in case.

Have you ever wondered who actually wins radio contests? Me too, until the Peak decided to give my husband Shea a three-night stay at Tinhorn Creek Vineyards in the heart of Canada’s wine capital.

By Hope, the snow was already heavily packed onto the highway with no plough in sight. After a flip of the coin between the Coquihalla and the HopePrinceton we decided on the latter.

I love driving in the snow when I’m not the one driving. The flakes always seem like they’re falling faster as you try to stay between the yellow lines. Staring through the windshield at the growing storm, I felt like we were entering light speed — snowflakes seeming like billions of stars zooming past.

Our fellow highway drivers fell into a neat single-file lineup through Allison’s Pass — what was to be the worst part of the drive. We were all in it together, so long as you followed the red tail-lights in front of you. The “treacherous” drive into the Okanagan in winter proved to be safer than a regular snowfall day in Abbotsford, and by Princeton the sun

was shining.

Suck on that, Global TV. We knew we were in wine country when fields of cows and hay bales were replaced with endless rows of grapevines. As symmetrical as lined paper, the dormant plants striped along the highway, wrapped hills, and fenced in the odd house dotting the land. The expert navigator (me) was so busy following the rows of grapes that I made us miss the turn-off.

Tinhorn Creek stands atop a hill overlooking the valley and town of Oliver, which is situated neatly between Penticton and Osoyoos on Highway 97. The winery boasts 150 acres of land, much of it plotted for their various grape breeds.

A vineyard that size is considered a midlevel winery in the area, which is a saturated category. However, Tinhorn’s wall of awards over the last 20 years proves they’re a force in the wine world.

We pulled up to the main tasting room in the late afternoon, the car a dull shade of grime, and shuffled stiffly through the heavy wooden doors.

“Tinhorn Creek Vineyards would like to welcome our special guests: Shea Wind and guest,” said the sign inside the vaulted entryway. I, the guest in that duo, was suddenly very aware that my shoes weren’t done up.

We were directed to our guest suite, a modest term for the house we stayed in. And, as is the natural first step to any vacation stay, we snooped in all the cupboards and closets. The place was stocked with board games, Wi-Fi, a wood-burning fireplace, bath robes and extra amenities, plus two bottles of Tinhorn’s most popular wines. There was just enough modernity to feel comfortable, but not enough to suffocate the

beautiful landscape framed by the walllength bay window and French doors looking over the valley.

Tinhorn treated us to a tour and tasting of six of their most popular wines.

Being the middle of winter, production was slow, but it allowed us to wander at our own pace. The fermentation tanks are housed in two rooms, two storeys high. The barrel room was home to 1000 oak barrels stacked high. There is also a restaurant (sadly, closed for the season) hanging over the hill and an amphitheatre where Shea drew a heart in the snow with his feet — which is about as close to Valentine’s Day as I’d ever like to get.

After the grapes are grown, they are trucked down the hill and dumped into the crush pad where all the juice is extracted and fed into the building. The mention of crush pad made me think of manually stomped grapes like in I Love Lucy, but instead the grapes are crushed by a large, metal, bladder-like machine.

I found myself wanting to whisper in each of the different production rooms — everything was library quiet. But the off-season didn’t stop the air from smelling of deep red grapes.

Finishing off in the tasting room, it was time to see if my coffee and beer palate transferred over to wine. The menu was speckled with merlot (or perhaps it was a pinot noir), evidence of a welltasted selection.

“Swirl, smell, sip, slurp,” recited Muriel, our tour guide, as she poured. “Most people dribble.”

I was more worried about choking.

I went into the tasting with pre-conceived notions of white and red. I’ve always liked that white is served colder, but never liked the sweetness, so I usually stay within the red spectrum. Then

I tried the gewürztraminer. It was balanced and lean, without an overpowering sweet juice flavour, convincing us to come home with a bottle. We tried their pinot noir, Oldfield merlot, cabernet franc, and Oldfield 2Bench red, but my favourite was still the classic merlot waiting for us at our suite.

I would probably still pick beer for most occasions, but there is certainly something to be said for a glass of wine, a crackling fire and a good book — all of which I took advantage.

While Oliver is famous for its multiple wineries and prime grape-growing dirt, not everyone in the town of 5000 is a white or a red, a merlot or a pinot gris.

For the guys behind Firehall brewery, it’s about hops and barley.

We met Sid, Firehall’s brew chief, by knocking on the door with the closed sign. Normally open to the public on Fridays, we figured holiday Monday was a long shot, but he opened up and welcomed us in.

The brewery sits in the basement of Oliver ’s original fire hall, though it has long since been transformed into a restaurant on the main floor. The ceiling sags above Sid’s fermentation tanks from years of fire engines parking in the main bay. Everything from the brewery’s logo (a crest featuring crossed fireman’s axes) to the tasting room (“Hydration Station”) has a firefighter feel. Even the beer lineup features fiery puns: Holy Smoke Stout, Stoked Ember Amber Ale, and their newest Backdraft Blonde Ale. It wasn’t long before Sid was sharing his love of the perfect pint and we were invited to a locals-only private cask tasting of their latest experiment. Our evening plans created themselves.

“The main door will be locked, but

A ro ar in he lp kick

Two students, three nights, award-winning wine and drinking beer with the locals.

CULTURE FEATURE

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

a wood fire roars the side one behind the dumpster is open,” assured Sid in a text message to confirm the time of the event. We walked down the steps as dry snowflakes began to cover our footprints and hesitated at the door.

“Do we knock?” asked Shea, and I was wondering if there was a password or a secret knock we missed. In reality, the door was unlocked and the beer was already flowing.

A well-loved piano sat in the middle of the room, and less than ten folding chairs were arranged in a circle around what looked like the most comfortably broken-in couch ever to be sat on. A man was strumming a guitar. Sid welcomed us in and introduced us to his friends, who had all grown up in town together: Tyler, Cody, Mike, and Guillaume. A few others trickled in and out over the course of the night, but we never got their names. We poured a couple pints of the experimental batch and settled in.

“You think it tastes farty,” Cody said to Sid. “But it’s good beer.”

“Sulphur,” Sid chuckled. Cody, who called himself the “idea man” pointed at Sid and said he was always hardest on himself. The beer was a mix of Firehall’s Backdraft Blonde Ale and apples, which they got from a friend who owns an orchard. Apart from lacking some carbonation, it was a solid marriage between juice and beer.

We were regaled with stories of living in the Okanagan: snowboarding in the winter and hiking in the summer.

“Did you learn to brew in school?” we asked after Sid said he went to Okanagan College for business.

“Not formally,” he said with a grin.

At 18, Sid began brewing in his dorm

room. A few years later, with the help of friends and family, he bought full brewing equipment from a local bootlegger that was looking to sell.

The evening ended with Sid on the piano and the cask empty.

For three nights atop the hill with snow, sun and wind, Oliver treated us fantastically in the middle of my most stressful semester to date. I didn’t even feel bad reading for pleasure — finally tackling The Handmaid’s Tale, which has been on my to-read pile since high school. I beat Shea at numerous games of Settlers of Catan and even won Scrabble after pulling the Q, Z, K, J, and X from the tile bag.

I learned a thing or two about wine, and deepened my love for craft beer and the Okanagan Valley. We made friends with self-proclaimed hippies — Cody was very proud to say he just got an iPhone. We let a cat walking by motion-sensor lights scare us into thinking there was a bear stalking around outside. I chopped firewood, and ate poutine by firelight. I slept.

As we drove home, taking Highway 3 again, we passed through Osoyoos, Keremeos, Hedley, and Princeton. I only noticed them on the way home; these towns were barely on the map — nothing compared to Merritt and Kelowna and other cities along the Coquihalla. The antique shops and hometown pubs are begging to be explored; the lakes, frozen for the winter, are patiently awaiting for the influx of summer tourists.

There may still be half a semester left, but I’m already looking to our next adventure and a few more tumbleweeds, like the one stuck in our grill when we got home.

ng fire an d a cozy ch ai r k re ading brea k of f right .

Free merlot? If you insist!

11

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CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

Gypsy jazz and fingerstyle virtuosi

Upcoming

Events

Fraser Valley Acoustic Guitar Festival returns for its 17th year

Feb 2014 Documentary: “They’re Not Scary!”

Described as an “intergenerational dance project,” this documentary explores the health and psychological benefits of dancing, especially how it can build relationships between the young and the elderly. The film is the work of UFV’s nursing and kinesiology departments and is produced

by MACS students and faculty.

This special screening will be held at UFV’s Chilliwack campus at 6 p.m. and is open to the public; no RSVP is necessary.

Feb 20 Community heritage workshop

Image: Jefferson Molinelli

Budge Schachte, one of French gypsy jazz quartet Van Django’s guitarists, laughs between songs at the Fraser Valley Acoustic Guitar Festival.

VALERIE FRANKLIN The Cascade

No one’s surprised to see a sign on Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s front door announcing that this evening’s Fraser Valley Acoustic Guitar Festival concert is sold out. The performers are internationally acclaimed fingerstyle guitarists of a calibre the Valley rarely sees: jazz fingerstyle guitarist Kent Hillman, bluesy American primitivist Ari Lahdekorpi, and gypsy jazz quartet Van Django.

For the last three days these artists have been leading the festival’s guitar workshops, giving talented high school kids the opportunity to study with seasoned musicians — and tonight, to cap off the festival, the masters are giving their own show.

Don Hlus, chair of Kwantlen’s music department, organizer of the festival, and emcee introduces Hillman, our first performer. Hillman sidles onto the stage in a blazer and faded jeans and starts us off with a sweet instrumental jazz rendition of “My Funny Valentine.” His fingerpicking style is mellow and golden, a sleek summery sound, but extraordinarily complex; his hands fly over the strings, making the ring on his fretting hand flash in the spotlight.

“I’m just gonna play a few Beatles tunes and see where it goes from there,” he says modestly before launching into a medley of the Beatles’ best, followed by a sassy blues tune

from Chet Atkins, a dreamy rendition of “La Vie en Rose” that finds its groove in a gentle, bouncing beat, and a French jazz piece mixed with a dark and thrilling Spanish flavour. If anyone in the audience doubted the astonishing spectrum of sounds an acoustic guitar is capable of, Hillman has already shown them the error of their ways.

Hillman finishes his set with another medley, this time a mashup of classic Disney songs: “Someday My Prince Will Come” and “When You Wish Upon a Star,” tender and slow.

A smile creeps across Hillman’s face as he plays; he knows this one just melts the audience.

His picking fingers climb onto the fretboard as he reaches for those tiny delicate high notes, each one hanging like a jewel in sunlight as the music fades to stillness.

“It sounded just like a piano sometimes,” whispers someone in the audience above me once the roaring applause has died down.

“And now for something completely different,” announces Hlus as Ari Ladhekorpi enters the stage — and so it is. Ladhekorpi takes over from Hillman with a funky, rolling blues tune on his acousticelectric. He’s full of restless energy, tap-tap-tapping his feet, and his face is remarkably animated as he plays; he grins, grimaces, clenches his teeth, mouths silently along to the song he’s playing. His guitar

has a crisp, steely sound that rolls and struts without ever getting twangy. Where Hillman caressed the strings, Ladhekorpi makes them snap.

Between songs Ladhekorpi chats cheerfully with the audience, telling us stories and jokes about his early days playing guitar in a back-up band for a faith healer. The room is warm and receptive, rumbling with laughter. We’re all having a good time. He gives us a medley of rollicking gospel tunes, a few crunchy jazz pieces, and then slows things down with his final piece, “Moon Over Birkenau.” It’s haunting, bittersweet, beautiful in its grief; pictures dance through my mind of a fat moon rising over the abandoned concentration camp, children’s ghosts playing in its light. Ladhekorpi leans deeply into his guitar, hugging it close.

No one breathes.

The third and final act of the night, Van Django — lovingly named after Django Reinhardt, the virtuoso father of gypsy jazz — consists of two guitars, an enormous double bass, and a violin, manned by four slim, middle-aged guys with lots of floppy hair and cheeky grins.

“Thank you ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, and dangerous farm animals!” shouts guitarist Budge Schachte, and the band bursts into a jaunty, brazen, and lovable tune with a strong French flavour. The deep thrumming pizzicato of the double bass sets a bold pace, and the violin strums, plucks,

and bounces along. Django would be dancing. These guys are tight and flawless — musicians you can trust. They move and think in perfect sync, and you can’t miss the way they nod and grin at each other competitively as they play: “Get this!” they seem to say, throwing out fancy little licks that make their fingers blur. Although rooted in fast-paced gypsy jazz, their musical range is astonishing. They give us a “Djangified” mashup of their favourite classic TV theme songs, a Beethoven medley, a hint of Dave Brubeck here, a nod to Black Sabbath there. And their slow, jazzy love songs like “I’m Confessing That I Love You” tweak the heartstrings with that wistful violin, swaying bass, and irrepressible French guitar, perfect for a Valentine’s weekend concert.

They finish with an intense and complex Reinhardt piece with a cut-glass violin melody, for which they receive a standing ovation — the audience is literally shouting, “More!

More!” Smiling, they oblige us with one last tune to wind down the concert: a gentle French ballad, slow and sweet as sunshine on a lazy Parisian morning.

If I were a teenage guitar student, these are the guys I would want to be learning from. Parents and friends of young musicians, take heed: the festival and its workshops will be back next spring with a fresh lineup of guitarists. And come Saturday night, you can bet I’ll be in the audience.

Are you passionate about the past? Join local heritage enthusiasts for an evening at the Reach Gallery Museum to learn more about how we can preserve and honour Abbotsford’s distinguished history. The workshop runs from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Admission is free, but pre-registration is required. Contact collections manager Kris Foulds at kfoulds@thereach.ca for more information.

Feb 22 A walk on the coldest night of the year Want to help the homeless?

Sign up for a two, five, or 10 kilometre fundraising walk across Abbotsford to raise awareness of those who have nowhere to go on cold winter nights. Proceeds will benefit local and national homelessness relief charities such as the Cyrus Centre and the Salvation Army. Register online at coldestnightoftheyear.org to get your donor pledge form.

All walking routes start at Sevenoaks Alliance Church. Remember to bundle up!

March 1 Mission Writers & Readers Festival UFV has teamed up once more with the Lifetime Learning Centre Society and the Fraser Valley Regional Library to present the seventh annual Writers & Readers festival. Held at UFV’s Mission campus, the fest features readings, workshops, and opportunities to hone your craft and network with other writers. Creative writing workshops will be led by published authors and poets, including UFV’s own John Carroll and current writer in residence, Daniela Elza. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Student tickets are $20.

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CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

Winston Hauschild tends a new wave of music in British Columbia

From small-town B.C. to Vancouver and back again, Hauschild produces music in the country and the city Personally, I focus primarily on songs and making sure we have the best possible songs before hitting the studio. Then the recording process can get experimental, trying fun instruments and having fun with overdubs.

As an artist, if you’re focused on getting drum sounds and EQing the bass it could be difficult to put all your energy into the performance.

CHRISTOPHER DEMARCUS CONTRIBUTOR

Winston Hauschild has been writing and performing music across Canada for 20 years, but his most recent success has been in producing records for Juno awardwinning artist Hannah Georgas and multi-platinum-selling singer Wanting Qu. Working out of Fader Master Studios in Vancouver and living on Bowen Island, Hauschild is a quintessential example of how British Columbia has forged the life of a producer-singer-songwriter.

Writing songs that are on par with Ron Sexsmith and John Lennon, while looking shockingly like the latter, Hauschild isn’t only a professional music man — he’s a working builder in the new digital age of cultural industry.

The Cascade was able to sit down with Winston over the past few weeks to talk about how music in B.C. has changed with the introduction of new radio station funding projects and do-it-yourself recording.

What are some of the biggest changes you’ve seen in the Lower Mainland that have affected the way we make music?

I think the biggest changes are the funding programs and artists’ ability to tap into those opportunities. When the Peak Performance Project started up we were able to educate, develop, and promote bands with over $5 million in seven years.

Shore 104.3 FM gives $10,000 a month to the artist with the best song. This type of funding just didn’t exist when I first came to

What do you look for in a producer that produces your own records?

I usually choose a producer — or co-producer — who is a great engineer but also has a deep appreciation for good songs.

Image: Leigh Righton

Writer, musician, and producer Winston Hauschild retreats to the coastal woods of Bowen Island to make music. the Lower Mainland.

What’s your role in the Peak Performance project?

Each year I participate in the Peak Bootcamp. I help the bands record songs in makeshift studios out in the woods — so inspiring!

Living on Bowen and commuting to Vancouver for work seems like the best of both worlds. What made you decide to live outside of the city?

After 13 years in the big city, I found myself yearning for the country again. I grew up in small towns in the Okanagan and have always felt inspired and reju-

venated after spending time in nature. Commuting to Bowen is relatively easy, and often quicker than commuting out to the valley. Some of my favourite records were made by artists that chose to get out of the city and head to a special destination to cut their record. Expect some big news later this year about how I plan to provide the ultimate “make your record in the woods” experience!

Are physical albums still relevant?

Physical albums are only relevant to touring musicians who need to build a fan base and sell a stack of CDs each night to help

with touring costs. Live gigs are the last place where physical copies still sell. Until the general public fully appreciates the superior sound quality of purchasing music on vinyl, I think artists should focus on digital.

More and more, songwriters are recording, producing, and mixing their own stuff. Some billboard-charting artists claim to be doing the DIY thing. What do you bring to the table as a writer-producer for hire?

Not many artists can make their own records with success. There are exceptions, but I still think the best projects have many heads involved.

Is there any locally-made studio gear or instruments you like to use?

I own a Union Tube & Transistor More pedal that is made locally. It’s my go-to magic guitar pedal that can also be used as a pre-amp for other needs. I love the Sonic Farm gear and have used their stuff on many records.

What do you think is the most important tool for a music producer?

Your ears. Your knowledge of songwriting and the classics.

Ability to play instruments.

Ability to work well with other people and be open to all ideas.

What’s your all time favourite venue to play in Canada?

The Commodore, of course!

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Fashion Forward

Is the dream of the ‘90s alive?

BRITTNEY HENSMAN The Cascade

Throughout my early adult life I have had a hate-on for the ‘90s. I am a child of the ‘90s and in many of my baby pictures my parents are sporting what I like to call the “non-fashion” of the ‘90s. Mum, you wore a monochromatic shapeless pantsuit, and Dad, you were swimming in a baggy tan blazer and loafers.

(Insert emoticon of a monkey covering his eyes.)

But wait, there’s more. It was not just my parents who modeled this abhorrent attire. Women sported awkward cropped shirts in every shade of tan, burgundy, and baby blue. Men rocked the greaser “split-bangs,” left-ear piercings, and pukka-shell necklaces. Shoes, whether Sketchers or Doc Martens, always looked oversized and chunky. And whoa, whose idea was it to design cheap plastic accessories like jelly sandals and butterfly clips? It was disastrous, simply disastrous.

Alas, I had always thought the

‘90s styles would never come back in — never! But the other day when I left my house, I didn’t realize I had subconsciously borrowed some of the few “good” aspects of what I always thought was the fashionably destitute decade. Wearing fitted combat boots, a leather bomber jacket, and my hair down and straightened, I realized I was sporting the same apparel as my favourite ‘90s singer-songwriters — and was delighted.

I came to the conclusion that there are aspects of the ‘90s which we have used to form our current 21st century styles.

Thanks to clothing stores like American Apparel and Urban Outfitters, we’ve seen a resurgence of ‘80s and ‘90s fashion, and I must say, I am so thankful for trends like the button-down plaid shirt and the leather jacket.

That goes for beauty, too — long hair cut all one length is in, and oxblood red lips against pale skin look very dramatic.

The men’s style of the ‘90s has also influenced our modern female look of the oversized boxy

Image: The Fox Cartel

Cropped shirts are making a comeback. Totally ‘90s, or timeless? blazer and “boyfriend fit” jeans; however, these must be worn in the correct manner.

If you go for the boxy blazer, make sure you choose one that fits you in the shoulders and pair it with fitted bottoms. Fitted shoulders will still acknowledge your shape even though the arms and sides will hang loosely around you.

Also, make sure the blazer is long enough so it is not cropping you awkwardly between the waist and hip. When paired with a slender pant leg, it will highlight the fact that you do have a body and are not just a blob of skin.

As for the “boyfriend” jeans, the same principle applies, but in reverse. Make sure the waist

fits you correctly and that you are wearing a fitted top. Also, the bottoms need to be cuffed.

If you find yourself feeling a little frumpy, throw on a pair of heels or girly flats. You will still achieve a feminine look.

Remember, there are some valuable “what not to do” lessons we must take from the ‘90s.

Your clothes should generally fit your body — let’s not bring back the “fall-off-your-butt” jeans and shapeless floor-length togas.

Your clothes should cover your body — that is why we wear clothes.

“Grunge” should never be a deliberate look. I understand becoming grungy after working outside all day, or dealing with sticky children, but we should not strive to appear unkempt or dishevelled.

For many of us university students, the ‘90s were the majority of our fundamental childhood years, and as much as the entire 10 years of the ‘90s seem to be a fashion faux pas, it was our decade. I say it’s time to redeem it.

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ARTS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

Album Review

Angel Olsen — Burn Your Fire for No Witness MICHAEL SCOULAR THE CASCADE

Mini Album Reviews

SoundBites

Angel Olsen probably doesn’t need to be a great songwriter. No matter what the lyric, Olsen can shake several different meanings out in the space of a breath, her voice capable of ranging between a whisper and an echoing, room-hushing register climb with barely a rest. And yet with few exceptions, she does not waste words. Olsen reaches high in her serious treatment of well-travelled ground, but she’s curious and skeptical, not loud and self-satisfied with what she finds (“these thoughts are easy to think, easy to say”), romantic honesty tempered by humour (“if only we could understand each other, I’d happily die”). Both those quotes and all these qualities were evident on Half Way Home from two years ago, but Olsen has entered a major transition since then.

Olsen has contributed guest vocals, begun an especially rewarding video collaboration with director Zia Anger (from stark chiaroscuro to blown-out multistrip 16mm), and signed with a larger label. In a more standard singer-songwriter vein, there were two significant sources of new material in between Half Way Home and her new album Burn Your Fire for No Witness. Her split EP Sleepwalker featured “California,” which could have comfortably fit in with Half Way Home’s tracklist,

musing about “California, not literally,” and “Sweet Dreams” which, from its drumcount opening, announced the most significant aural change in Olsen’s new material. Coming a fair distance from what often sounded like no more than a room, a guitar, and a tape recorder, Olsen is accompanied on about half the songs on Burn Your Fire with a full band produced by John Congleton.

At her most striking, Olsen can command a song on vocal strength alone, but Burn Your Fire is Olsen working with a different kind of composition. Instead of doing all the work, drum builds (“High & Wild,” “Stars”) and filled electric outros (“Lights Out”) sometimes take over, making Olsen’s work slot more easily

into a genre, but that doesn’t change is her creative approach — songs last only as long as they need to (varying from two minutes to seven), structures can work in favour or be abandoned as needed, and while her rhyme schemes still tend to be very simple, it’s with communication, not easy summations in mind that this is done.

Olsen’s other significant interstitial release was a duet with Marissa Nadler covering Mickey Newbury’s “Frisco Depot.” Newbury’s rain-pelted ballads are some of the most quiet and devastating to come out Nashville, and he’s one influence in Olsen’s more restrained portraits of departure and slow recovery.

Burn Your Fire opens with a track titled “Unfucktheworld,” suggesting her hopeful, expansive point of view (other earlier examples include “Some Thing Cosmic” and “Creator, Destroyer”) while following a trajectory of alienation. “I quit my dreaming the moment that I found you,” and this, Olsen draws out, was injurious.

Most of Olsen’s writing comes across like the wisdom she would offer to a younger version of herself. “I’ve made up my mind / I’ve made up my mind / I’ve wasted my time / making up my mind,” is the circular salvo of “Forgiven/Forgotten,” a song that unleashes Olsen’s voice and newly aggressive guitar, backed by and filtered through her band, and ideawise Olsen follows this with the album’s

title statement on “White Fire” and the anti-utopic “Iota,” among other demonstrations. It is didactic, but only in the sense that Olsen is learning as she creates, and this is her keeping a record of where she is. “Lights Out” expands on a single line from Half Way Home’s “The Sky Opened Up,” reminding that “No one’s gonna hear it the same as it’s said / No one’s gonna listen to it straight from your head.” Between the two songs, and the two albums, her more recent version isn’t “better,” neither is it the same. Olsen’s updating a constant struggle between idealism and reality, which emerges in her frequent wishes (often answered with a criticism, though not an answer): “If only we got wiser with every breath / If only we could dance our way to death.”

Olsen’s voice is capable of being morose, but also knows the heights of not dwelling there.

On Burn Your Fire, her blues are balanced partly by the piano hanging in the background of “High & Wild,” the drum patterns waiting to pick up “Window.”

That last song suggests new directions, though it’s hard to say if that’s merely because it’s the album closer or because Olsen intends to continue to challenge what she already excels at in future albums.

For now, there’s her sometimes wry, sometimes direct sensitivity, which most singers have, but few can pass on like she does in the post-chorus kick of “Hi-Five.”

Within Temptation Hydra

Reverend Horton Heat Rev

Sam Roberts Band Lo-Fantasy

St. Vincent St. Vincent

Within Temptation, a symphonic metal seven-member from the Netherlands, does not disappoint. They have shown diversity throughout their six studio albums, and put on full display classic melodic metal with strong string accompaniment on their new album Hydra. The opening track “Let us Burn” blends Sharon den Adel’s powerful vocals with a post-grunge influence and a powerful guitar solo that makes it a kick-in-the-ass opener.

It leads perfectly into my favourite track, “Dangerous,” where symphonic metal meets melodic thrash metal, and features Howard Jones (formerly of Killswitch Engage) sharing the vocals.

As bonus tracks on Hydra, the band released four covers, and I love their version of Imagine Dragons’ “Radioactive.” Their cover shows glimpses of their earlier works, with a thrash metal influence in the song. The album’s latter tracks are composed of killer songs “Silver Moonlight” and “Tell Me Why,” where they turn up the already strong guitar from Ruud Jolie and Robert Westerholt. The album does not disappoint, finishing off with the ominously commanding track, “The World is Watching.”

The Reverend Horton Heat isn’t a man, a band, or a holy roller. It’s an institution of hard touring rock ‘n’ roll. Guitar blazer Jim Heath as lead pounded the interstate with this rock ‘n’ roll train over two decades and countless different genres: rockabilly, psychobilly, metal, country, blues, jazz, and psychedelic rock. But two words sum up the Rev’s latest collection of fiery missives: rock and roll. Take Brian Setzer and Eddie Van Halen, multiply them by Jimi Hendrix, add two doses of Slash and some Billy Gibson, and you still don’t have what it takes to keep up with the chicken’ pickin’ goodness that makes up Rev. Absurdly creative, maestro-style guitar work is joined with country blast beats and stand-up slap bass that will kick your foot into a clutch at 120 miles (yes, miles) per hour. This is all-American music from a time when America’s values were spoken through the throttle of an engine. Legendary road dogs, the Reverend’s band hits up every town in North America at least twice a year.

While other bands are dancing circles around laptops and strobe lights, these guys play circles around anyone, anywhere, ever. Get ready, the world’s best rock ‘n’ roll band is back on the decks.

What’s in a name? Well, when it comes to Montreal-born rocker Sam Roberts, apparently a lot. Lo-Fantasy, the fifth studio album from Sam Roberts and his mates, and second under the moniker Sam Roberts Band is more in tune with the band’s 2011 release Collider than with his previous three albums, which billed Roberts as a solo act.

Doubling down on their psychedelic dancefloor grooves, Sam Roberts Band brought in acclaimed producer Martin Glover (Youth) to aid them in their quest to discover new electronic territory. Youth, who has worked with big name acts like Paul McCartney and the Verve, successfully brings back the perky and fresh sound of Roberts’ debut We Were Born in The Flame. While the band’s ambition may lie too far outside their comfort zone, the tracks on Lo-Fantasy are all sturdy pop songs.

“Human Heat” offers a mishmash of Sam Roberts’ traditional barrage of guitars and Youth’s glossy production, while the album’s standout track “Kid Icarus” resembles XTC’s punchy newwave sound. Although Lo-Fantasy is far from Sam Roberts’ best work, it’s got upbeat melodies and expands the band’s horizons.

Are you in the mood for some poppycatchy-psycho-indie-electronic tunes?

I know I am — I always am — which is why picking up St. Vincent’s selftitled album was such a pleasant and exciting surprise. It’s the perfect mix of pop and distortion, kickdrum and choppy guitar. Every element and instrument has come to play, not least of all the vocals of Annie Clark, who seems to be a child of (and all the best parts from) the Moody Blues and Florence and the Machine. She has a comfortable alto, equal parts croon and belt, with just a touch of punk to season. Opening track “Rattlesnakes” breaks the album open with what sounds like a campy videogame theme and a manic energy that is too legit to quit, followed by “Birth in Reverse,” the sort of song that would play in a movie version of your life where you put on headphones and dance around the house in your underwear. But my favourite track by far is “Prince Johnny,” one of two pseudo-love songs on the album and a power ballad worthy of the Moody Blues. Her sultry croon comes to us through the ambient mist of a digitized choir and kick drum, and it’s like glimpsing an angel through the clouds.

Owen Coulter

Christopher DeMarcus

Tim Ubels

Put on your headphones; we want your thoughts on new music.

DESSA BAYROCK

Pop into the Cascade offices in C1027 for a free album to review, or email arts@ufvcascade.ca for more information!

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ARTS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

Film Review

The Lego Movie

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Shuffle

CHARTS

The Courtneys The Courtneys

AARON LEVY

CIVL STATION MANAGER

Cult Babies Cult Babies

CIVL station manager Aaron Levy wants you to participate in the democratic functions of your Student Union Society! Your student government’s annual election’s voting period opens February 26. Check out ufvsus. ca for more info!

Hag Face Hag Face Dum Dum Girls Too True

George Michael — “Careless Whisper”

Tough Age Tough Age

Remember the sexy saxophone man? This is the song he plays in all sorts of public places! Why do I bring it up? It reminds me of the saxophone Bill Clinton used to use to get Americans to Rock the Vote!

I’d do it myself, but I’m terrible with a reed!

Mac DeMarco Live & Acoustic, Vol. 1

Neko Case The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight...

Eddie Murphy — “Party All the Time” Murphy did Coming to America with Arsenio Hall, who is an avid democratic process supporter.

Keep raising the roof, and keep coming out to party on election night like Arsenio and the other public figures who support the vote!

8 9 10 11

OOIOO Gamel Childish Gambino Because The Internet New Vaders Dynamic Traxx Vol.1

Homeboy Sandman White Sands

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Bloodshot Bill The Lonesome Road

What on Earth could this song possibly have to do with democracy or elections?! Well, it was featured in the soundtrack to the incredibly relevant high school student election flick Election, starring Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon!

This movie was quite painful in its situational comedy-style hilarity.

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Average Times Average Times

Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band Take Me To The Land Of Hell

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R.E.M. — “The Great Beyond”

Said The Whale Hawaiii The Pack A.D. Do Not Engage

The Ketamines Stay Awake b/w Always Small

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Stick with me here: R.E.M.’s lead singer Michael Stipe is a regular guest on The Colbert Report, the host of which, one Stephen “don’t know if he has a middle name” Colbert, filled the allegedly philanderous president of France’s significant-other seat at a classy recent state event. Voting!

THE CASCADE

Charles M. Schulz’s Peanuts comic strip’s most popular way of sticking around for new generations is through his holidaythemed sketches. If you read Schulz’s work today in one of the collections that have been published, each covering a couple years of the comic, what’s remarkable and immediately evident is how they still act as a cynical guard against all that is popular in the so-called adult world, sincerely respecting the individual lives of children. For his annual October 31 tradition, the blanket-dependent idealist Linus would say no to door-todoor begging and decamp to a chosen pumpkin patch. Waiting, hoping for a visit from the Great Pumpkin, Linus would usually survey the field and explain why he was there and not elsewhere: it was without hypocrisy.

Films aimed at children tend to belong to the “do as I say, not as I do” world of parenting-byproxy. Where fables were once made to frighten a moral lesson into them, the animated extravaganza based on a popular property or animal type just as forcefully pushes its younger audiences into “being” or “not being” something. In the case of The Lego Movie (like many other movies, the slogans printed in school agendas, and countless advertisements) it’s “yourself,” and woe betide those who fail to follow the lesson.

Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, 21 Jump Street), The Lego Movie is mainly different from other more forgettable pushers of the phrase in a single, but important way. Fa-

miliar to anyone who watched Clone High and its high-low play of comedy (the high-school-set animated series’ main characters were Abe Lincoln and Joan of Arc), Lord and Miller ’s work has a different tone, a different energy.

It isn’t manic, though it frequently edges on that territory, because it’s deeply entrenched in a conventional heroic narrative, which it needs to deliver after every other action beat. It more closely represents the visual patterns of a well-rehearsed trivia game player, calling up licensed Lego pieces, television sitcom humour, and details of other heroic narratives (the major hits, from The Wizard of Oz to The Matrix) at will.

If anyone’s nostalgic for the look of rapid-assembled Lego commercials, this film is sure to please. If you picture Lego pieces in motion as something between stop-motion plastic and 16-bit video games with a 3D sheen, that mark is hit.

Lord and Miller visually strive after the work of Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Scott Pilgrim), all zooms, whip pans, and popculture specificity, and mimic it at points, but their combination of mini-blockbuster action and humour is pummelled into the audience. Which wouldn’t be a problem for some, except that the narrative claims to be set against that very thing.

Liberally quoting, or unashamedly similar to portions of The Lorax, Wreck-It Ralph, Toy Story, and Finding Nemo, The Lego Movie is the story of conformative construction worker Emmett (Chris Pratt) and his voyage from unthinking compliance (in an introductory number that’s entry-level media inter-

pretation) to confident speechmaker and leader. It handles its villain, subtly named Lord Business, in a way some are calling “anarchic” or “subversive.”

Coming a year after the excesses of capitalism were already the common thread through films

by Korine, Coppola, Bay, and Scorsese, among others, The Lego Movie isn’t much more than a barely filled-in portrait of generic dictatorship, as subversive as the back of a cereal box. Like The Lorax, its “topic” (not thinking for yourself) is vague and peripheral to the point of being interchangeable.

The appeal of this movie is the way it includes and flatters young adults or parents with its nods to other entertainment, while also paying kids service by including a message on parenting methods. But in its “rebelling” against being “micro-managed,” the conquering response is one of “believing you are special, because the world depends on it.” Not only is this sort of platitude useless to children a narrative that speaks of discovery rather than one that conveys the space for actual discovery to happen, but it’s as conformist and foundational as narratives get.

Lord and Miller are showing off what they can do with their own style within the confines of making a massive, licensed studio picture (expand your mind! just make sure you’re playing with these toys while you do so), but it amounts to a movie that says what it wants without having to live it for a second.

That isn’t what the best children’s stories evoke, it’s more, to bring in Linus again, “Hypocrisy as far as the eye can see!”

Come to a writers meeting!

It’s not just for writers!

We also need artists, designers, photographers, ad salespeople, and really anyone who drinks a lot of coffee.

Harma White Harma White

From the Stuart Saves His Family soundtrack, a film starring Minnesota junior Senator Al Franken — a man who must have traded at least a little bit on his celebrity to earn himself a place in the house formerly governed by one-time WWF superstar Jesse “The Body” Ventura.

Jimi Hendrix — “Foxey Lady”

Angel Olsen Burn Your Fire for No Witness

Warpaint Warpaint

Ethel Merman — “Everything’s Coming Up Roses”

MICHAEL SCOULAR

Join us Monday mornings in C1421 at 8 a.m. or email michael@ufvcascade for details.

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ARTS

Porter’s Bistro Coffee and Tea House

Image: Jeff McNeill/Flickr

Some of Porter’s buffet options include roast beef, potatoes, and gravy.

THE CASCADE

I spent my Saturday night at Porter ’s Bistro, listening to the entertaining Dave “Hurricane” Hoerl and company while making numerous trips back and forth from the buffet table. Hoerl lived up to his reputation as one of Canada’s best at blues harmonica in a performance that went well into the night; the audience was excitable, but that also might have been a result of the fantastic buffet-style roast beef dinner.

The buffet, offered every Saturday evening, is $22.95, and this week’s menu included Yorkshire pudding, six different salads, potatoes, gravy, roast beef cut to preference, and a second entree of jambalaya. The salads

are entirely unique, ranging from an interesting red cabbage and sweet raisin to a more Asian noodle fusion. The Yorkshire pudding was still warm, and had everyone going for seconds.

There is also a selection of wines and beer to accompany the meal.

Porter ’s also offers a breakfast and lunch menu during the day, which has more student-friendly pricing; a typical breakfast runs from $7.95 to $10.50, while a sandwich on the lunch menu is $9.50, including chips and a salad. All breads are baked on-site.

Most pleasing, however, is the comfortable and welcoming atmosphere. When my companion and I walked in, we were greeted not only by the waitress, but also the table of diners beside where we settled. It’s a small seating area, which seems to strike feel-

ings of kinship among patrons.

Porter ’s has a rather long reputation as a Langley fixture.

It has been around since 1888, when it was first erected as a general store. Since then it has been a post office and tea shop; the restaurant standing now has the original floors and fixtures, lending the restaurant a quaint and honest from-the-past feel.

In 2009, the building achieved “heritage building” status. The restaurant also features a variety of local musicians on Friday and Saturday nights.

Another quirk that makes this restaurant a worthy destination is its distinctive decor; aside from the historical interest, the walls of Porter ’s are covered with peculiar gift items.

Everything from Benaya tiles to vintage hats piques customers’ interests. Perhaps most eyecatching are the eccentric clocks from Allan Design in Vancouver.

The clocks feature a wide variety of oddities; there are fat little shark clocks, owl clocks, sly fox clocks, and sassy cow clocks.

Porter ’s is well worth the trip to Langley. For those of us on a student budget, a breakfast or lunch suits. The seating area is pleasant and the people friendly.

Porter ’s makes for the perfect not-too romantic outing; if you want to impress with your offbeat restaurant selection, a night of live music at Porter ’s leaves no awkward silences. After all, you can always talk about the clocks.

Channel Surfing

Girls

SASHA MOEDT THE CASCADE

Who doesn’t have a problem with Girls?

The characters are self-centered, their problems are depressing, the show has no racial (or class, for that matter) diversity while being set in the diverse city of New York, and there is nudity seemingly for the sake of nudity, which is annoying. Despite being praised for its portrayal of women and their friendships, there are big flaws — classism and racism, for starters.

And yet Girls is an honest and fearless portrayal of women as women, and, despite its failings, it might be one of the best shows on the air that does.

Hannah (Lena Dunham, also the creator of Girls) is back for season three, along with Marnie (Allison Williams), Shoshanna (Zosia Marnet) and Jessa (Jemima Kirke). The tumultuous events of season two have left Marnie considerably less arrogant, Jessa far more brooding (unfortunately), and Shoshanna a whole lot less innocent. Hannah is just as we left her — though her situation is looking cheerful, so that desperate edge to her has softened.

For the men, there is a focus on Adam (Adam Driver) in all his horrifyingly flawed glory, as well as the cynically insightful

www.ufvcascade.ca

Cascade Arcade

Dine & Dash

NADINE MOEDT

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014

Ray (Alex Karpovsky).

The third season’s tone is refreshingly optimistic. Things are going well after the disastrous relationship issues — between almost everyone in the friend group — of season two.

Of course this is the kind of show that keeps you waiting for something horrible or awkward to happen (much like Louie, actually). And it does; a death shakes up Hannah’s plans.

The depiction of poor 20-somethings struggling to find a career after graduating is laughable. In one of the most expensive cities in the U.S., these characters seem to do okay. It’s inconvenient and limiting to have extremely poor characters, especially when you want them to get drunk and go out, wear chic clothes, or even have coffee together. But the basis of the show is evident from the first scene of the first season — Hannah’s parents telling her they won’t be paying her rent.

From here we have her grapple with the — supposed — reality of having to support herself. Apparently being barely employed writing an E-book or working at a coffee shop is enough to afford all kinds of upper middle class things.

The lack of racial diversity is disappointing. But at the same time, I would have been more disappointed if there were the few token people of colour (with of course no racial conflict) to

appease concerned viewers, because that’s all too common.

The fact of the matter is that Girls gives me something that not a lot of other shows can. It portrays women as people, it delves into feminist issues — body image, harassment, abortion, sex, and relationships — and Dunham does it fearlessly.

The show is about my generation trying to live in the adult world, and doing it rather dysfunctionally. I definitely can relate. It deals with social media, procrastination, economic pressures our parents never had to face, and female relationships.

The fire Girls has been under isn’t surprising, and it should be encouraged. I just wonder why the constant flow of cop, political figure, or apocalyptic shows — with the flawed male leads — aren’t as thoroughly criticized.

If you’re looking for shows that genuinely portray diverse people in race, class — heck, even just real women who aren’t there just as romantic interests for a dynamic male lead — you’re not going to have much to pick from. I mean, I dislike most action movies, because they all wallow in the most sexist tropes.

Unless networks get flooded with smarter shows, I won’t stop watching Girls. Despite all the criticism, it’s one of the best we’ve got.

Flappy Bird: balancing difficult, addictive games

JEREMY HANNAFORD CONTRIBUTOR

A successful game is not only fun, but addictive.

Designers want to build a game that keeps people coming back to it, pushing homework and chores aside for just a few more hours of play.

So what happens when a developer realizes their game is addicting and takes it down for just that reason?

This is what happened with Flappy Bird developer Dong Nguyen from dotGears Studios. The side-scrolling game has a player guide a bird flying between a series of tubes. The game’s only true objective is to get a score higher than that of your friends. The game is extremely difficult, addicting, yet plain and repetitive.

And the game’s popularity is due to its ridiculous difficulty level. Much like Super Meat Boy, it is popular because it is hard.

Certain gamers love a ridiculous challenge. The idea of risk vs. reward has become more focused within some games in the last few years. The reward for beating games like Dark Souls is that you finally defeat the game’s insane difficulty.

The notoriety of difficult games is a concept that hearkens back to games from the Sega Saturn or Super Nintendo. But these games were usually difficult because of no checkpoints, awkward controls, or terrible mechanics.

Some difficult games are actually good when they weren’t filling you with fury. Ninja Gaiden is one of the best examples of difficult but entertaining game play from the early 2000s (an aspect they continued in the sequel but failed to continue in the third game). After former Team Ninja lead developer Tomonobu Itagaki heard that the number of people who completed Ninja Gaiden 2 was staggeringly low in comparison to the number of those who bought it, he thought a change was necessary. He handed the series to Yosuke Hayashi who made the game easier but also made a mediocre and seemingly streamlined product. In this case, being more difficult translated into a much better product.

Around the same time, a

game by the name of Demon Souls was receiving a large amount of attention due to its difficulty. So much so that it generated a majorly successful sequel, Dark Souls. Embracing its difficulty, when it came time for a PC platform release, From Software dubbed it the Prepare to Die edition.

So it’s no surprise Flappy Bird became popular because of its difficulty. Much like Angry Birds, the game mechanics recall games we used to play on the internet during info-tech classes in high school. Flappy Bird is an updated version of Helicopter Game, one of the best free Flash games of all time. If you never played it, you surely never enjoyed the internet as a young teen. The same can be said for Angry Birds. There were hundreds of castle siege games before the emergence of Angry Birds. All Rovio Entertainment did was put birds and pigs on the screen and it became a worldwide sensation.

So what does this say about Nguyen’s choice for removing Flappy Bird from the marketplace? Perhaps he is against the idea of in-game advertisements. The Verge reported he was making almost $50,000 a day from in-game ad revenue.

In an interview with the publication, he said he couldn’t sleep. The amount of attention the game was getting was much more than he had originally intended. He originally designed the game for people to spend a few minutes a day playing it to relax.

Now, if you didn’t download it before its removal, you can always buy a phone that has it on Ebay for $900. Or you can find one of the many knock-offs on the internet — my favourite version so far features Bert from Sesame Street.

Nguyen’s actions are commendable as well as surprising.

Such a decision is a display of integrity and self-acceptance.

The fact that dotGears Studios went along with the decision shows the well-founded relationship it shares with Nguyen.

His actions have definitely set the stage for other developers who are making successful addictive games.

SPORTS & HEALTH

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

Personal Credits Notice

If you received a Common Experience Payment, you could get $3,000 in Personal Credits for educational programs and services.

The Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement.

The healing continues.

Since 2007, almost 80,000 former students have received a Common Experience Payment (“CEP”) as part of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. CEP recipients are now eligible to receive non-cash Personal Credits of up to $3,000, for either themselves or certain family members, for educational programs and services.

What are Personal Credits? Personal Credits may be used for a wide range of educational programs and services, including those provided by universities, colleges, trade or training schools, Indigenous Institutions of Higher Learning, or which relate to literacy or trades, as well as programs and services related to Aboriginal identities, histories, cultures or languages.

How much are Personal Credits?

Adequate funds are available for each CEP recipient to receive up to $3,000 in Personal Credits, depending on your approved educational expenses.

the terms and conditions. Personal Credits of multiple CEP recipients can be combined to support a group learning activity.

How can I get Personal Credits? Each CEP recipient will be mailed an Acknowledgement Form. If you do not receive an Acknowledgement Form by the end of January 2014, please call 1-866-343-1858. Completed Acknowledgement Forms should be returned as soon as possible and must be postmarked no later than October 31, 2014.

How do I redeem my Personal Credits? Once approved, you will be sent a personalized Redemption Form for each individual using Personal Credits at each educational entity or group. Once the Form is received, provide it to the CEP recipients have the option of educational entity or group listed. sharing their Personal Credits with The educational entity or group must certain family members, such as: then complete and mail back the Redemption Form postmarked no • Spouses • Children later than December 1, 2014.

• Grandchildren • Siblings

Which educational entities and groups are included? A list of approved educational entities and groups has been jointly developed by Canada, the Assembly of First Nations and Inuit representatives. If an educational entity or group is not on the list, please consult the website for more information.

Will I receive a cheque? No. Cheques will be issued directly to the educational entity or group providing the service.

Who can use Personal Credits? CEP recipients can use the full amount themselves or give part or all of their Personal Credits to certain family members such as a spouse, child, grandchild or sibling, as defined in

What happens to unused Personal Credits? The value of unused Personal Credits will be transferred to the National Indian Brotherhood Trust Fund and Inuvialuit Education Foundation for educational programs.

For more information, including how Personal Credits can be redeemed by certain family members of CEP recipients that are deceased, visit www.residentialschoolsettlement.ca or call 1-866-343-1858.

The IRS Crisis Line (1-866-925-4419) provides immediate and culturally appropriate counselling support to former students who are experiencing distress.

1-866-343-1858 • www.residentialschoolsettlement.ca

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SPORTS & HEALTH

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

Heat Report

Olivier Roy shines in debut while Heat climb standings TIM UBELS

CONTRIb UTOR

It’s been a roller-coaster couple weeks for the Abbotsford Heat, after a second-period collapse in the last game of their eight-game homestand led to their biggest home loss of the season, and the first game of the road trip was rescheduled due to the extreme deep freeze in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Against the Charlotte Checkers at the AESC, the Heat defeated the Checkers 7-1 and 4-3 respectively. In their Tuesday night 7-1 victory, 14 of the Heat’s 18 skaters tallied at least a point, while seven of them had a multi-point game. Overshadowed by this offensive foray was the debut of goaltender Olivier Roy, who was acquired in the Ladislav Smid trade with the Edmonton Oilers back in November. After spending the past months with the team’s ECHL affiliate in Alaska, Roy joined the Heat for the tail end of their homestand after starter Joni Ortio was called up to the Calgary Flames. With Joey MacDonald out with a concussion, Roy got the opportunity to take the No. 1 spot and run with it. Roy quietly turned away 25 of 26 shots in this surprise start, letting in a single goal midway through the third period, and

Image: Clint Trahan

Roy proved to be a bright spot for the Heat when he finally got a start. was named the game’s first star.

“He’s been real patient up in Alaska,” Heat coach Troy G. Ward said Tuesday night. “Now he comes down and gets his moment in the sun.”

“We did a nice job allowing him to see the puck, because they had a couple good pushes, Ward said of his team’s defense.

“On the other end of that, we

didn’t move people out at times and he made some critical saves at early junctures, and made it look fairly easy, by the way.”

The Checkers came prepared for the backend of the midweek set, but the Heat were still able to pull out a 4-3 victory after a late game push. The teams traded goals for most of the match, but with about three-and-a-half

minutes left in the third period, Corbin Knight potted the game winner off a Ben Street rebound to give the Heat the sweep.

The next matchup was a much bigger challenge for the redhot Heat, as the Texas Stars, a close division rival, rolled into Abbotsford and split the two game series. The Heat squeaked out a 3-2 shootout win on Sat-

urday night, with Sven Baertschi notching the winner in the seventh round of the shootout.

Sunday night’s game however, turned out to be the biggest home loss of the year for the Heat. Before suffering a 7-2 loss at the hands of the Texas Stars on Sunday night, the Heat were 16-5-4 at the AESC and hadn’t lost by more than two goals at home.

“It’s one you kind of want to erase,” Heat forward Carter Bancks said after the blowout loss.

Shane O’Brien added, “We let it snowball on us, and give them credit — they smelled some blood and they took advantage.”

The Heat travelled to Charlotte Friday looking to regroup after their big loss to Texas, but were forced to wait, as the game was postponed due to bad weather conditions.

When the puck finally dropped on Saturday afternoon, the Heat bounced back well, going two for four on the powerplay, downing the Checkers 4-1. Blair Jones had a goal and assist in the game, while Ortio made 29 saves for his first win back with the Heat after being returned for the NHL’s Olympic break. The Heat continue their roadtrip, and won’t return to the AESC until Friday, February 28 when they take on the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Citrus fruits: more than just vitamin C VIVIENNE BEARD CONTRIBUTOR

Citrus fruits have long been known for their immune-system-boosting vitamin C. Armed with this beneficial vitamin, citrus fruits help our bodies fight everything from the common cold to a nasty case of the flu.

In the middle of the season for coughing and sneezing, loading up on vitamin C is one of the best things we can do for our bodies.

Apart from giving our immune systems a helping hand, vitamin C also plays an important role in the formation of collagen. Collagen composes much of the connective tissue in our bodies, which helps to maintain strong ligaments, bones, and young-looking skin. Without a healthy amount of collagen, our skin tissues start to weaken, making it harder for our bodies to heal wounds and build strong connective tissues. The vitamin C found in citrus fruits works to prevent these tissues from weakening. If strong, radiant skin from the inside to the outside hasn’t made you vitamin C’s top fan just yet, listen closely to this next benefit. Vitamin C has been shown to effectively alleviate stress by helping our bodies absorb inorganic iron.

And dramatically less stress, my friends, means a lower risk of

nearly every disease.

On top of being loaded with vitamin C, citrus fruits offer our bodies an extensive amount of beneficial nutrients. Potassium, a mineral important in maintaining a proper fluid and electrolyte balance in our bodies, is found in large amounts in citrus fruits. A medium-size grapefruit contains around 350 mg of potassium, while an orange contains just over 250 mg.

Citrus fruits also contain folate, a water-soluble vitamin that is essential in the growth and production of new cells. A glass of orange juice provides nearly half the recommended amount of daily folate for both women and men.

In more recent news, citrus fruits have received great attention for their various phytochemicals. This popularity is rightfully gained, for phytochemicals have been proven to protect our bodies from a number of chronic diseases. Phytochemicals, such as caroteniods and flavanoids, are natural compounds found in plants. When incorporated into our daily diet, citrus fruits offer enough phytochemicals to greatly reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.

In addition, phytochemicals act as antioxidants in our bodies by increasing the activity of the enzymes used by our bodies to fight carcinogens.

Despite having the nutrients to be considered “health foods,” citrus foods are anything but bland and boring. Not only are they valuable to health, but citrus fruits are also incredibly versatile. Surprisingly, citrus fruits work just as well in main meals as they do in desserts.

Sliced grapefruit gives salad a tasty makeover, while freshly squeezed lemon juice adds subtle flavour to baked fish. During the day, an orange makes a quick flavourful snack in between classes, and half a lime will work to turn a glass of water from plain to tropical.

Vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals are simple yet effective ways citrus fruits keep us healthy. Who would have guessed that citrus fruits can also keep us happy? Citrus fruits boasting vibrant colours are excellent remedies in boosting mood on days when the skies are dark and the sun is masked by clouds. Studies show that cheerful colours, especially in the middle of winter, help to lift our spirits and give us energy. From deep pinks to sunshine yellows, I can’t help but feel brighter when eating a grapefruit for breakfast or munching on an orange for a post-lunch snack. Good thing winter, the best season to gobble up all things citrus, is right now!

Image: Scott Bauer, USDA/Wikimedia Commons

Unfortunately, you’ll need a physical citrus fruit to get a colourful boost to your day. We print in black and white for budgetary reasons.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

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SPORTS & HEALTH

Varsity Sports

Women’s volleyball en route to playoffs in defense of title NATHAN HUTTON THE CASCADE

The reigning CCAA champs are about to begin the quest to defend their national title.

Surprisingly, they won’t do it as a top seed. Sliding from their once-perfect record down the stretch, their final regular season matches against the Columbia Bible College Bearcats were indicative of some weaknesses the team will need to shore up for the postseason.

The two games did not mean anything when it came to standings, but there was the significance of senior night.

Both Jenna Evans and Simone Hansen were key contributors on last year’s national championship winning team and were honoured in their final regular season appearances.

In game one, the Bearcats came out strong, as they wanted to

prove they can hang with the powerhouse Cascades. They won the first two sets in spectacular fashion, both going into extra points with the Bearcats prevailing both times 27-25. The early 2-0 deficit forced the Cascades to turn up the intensity.

The Cascades came out strong in the third and fourth sets, holding the Bearcats to only 27 total points (17 and 10 respectively), and the Cascades prevailed in the final set 15-8.

But the second game of the weekend saw the Cascades lose to the Bearcats in four sets.

The Cascades will begin their playoff run on Thursday in the PACWEST championship where they will be the second seed behind the VIU Mariners. The PACWEST championship are being hosted by Capilano University and will run from February 20 to 22.

Men’s volleyball season ends on low note NATHAN HUTTON THE CASCADE

This year has been a real struggle for head coach Greg Russell’s men’s volleyball team.

They’ve fought all year, with limited success, to recapture the flames that used to burn brightly in the Cascades men’s volleyball program.

The latest misstep came when the Cascades were eliminated from playoff contention, losing back-to-back games against the Camosun College Chargers with a week to go in the season.

The squad, which hasn’t made it past the quarterfinals in three years, played out their final games with a home and home against the Columbia Bible College Bearcats.

Prior to Friday night’s home game, every varsity team honoured their departing seniors.

For the men’s volleyball team, this meant Devon Krahn, who spent his entire post-secondary volleyball career at UFV after playing locally at MEI, was giving it one last go around.

The Cascades pushed hard and were able to pull out a victory, winning three straight sets and shocking the first-place Bearcats. In the second game the Cascades never got going, struggled to find their game, and ended up getting swept in three straight sets.

The loss finalized what the Cascades already knew: the playoffs were not in the cards this year and their season had just officially ended.

Image: Blake McGuire

Devon Krahn (7) embraces his teammates during his last home game as a Cascade.

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SPORTS & HEALTH

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

Rivalry brings out best in playoffbound men’s basketball team NATHAN HUTTON THE CASCADE

For their final games of the regular season, the Cascades didn’t have a lot to play for.

They’d already clinched a homecourt playoff series, which meant the game was most notable for sentimental reasons: it would be the last regular season games played by UFV stars Klaus Figueredo and Jasper Moedt. On the other hand, they were bound to face the best possible effort from the Spartans, who needed a win to advance to the playoffs.

Klaus Figueredo transferred to UFV for the 2011-12 season and made an immediate impact on the floor. Klaus’ leadership and poise shone through his play early and this season, when a more prominent role was given to him, he had a massive part in the team’s resurgence.

Prior to senior night Figueredo commented on the likelihood of high emotions.

“It’s the last in-season game that I will ever play and I am sure Jasper is feeling the same way.”

Moedt’s 2013-14 came about in an unconventional way, but once it began, it proved to be worth the wait. Moedt had to sit out last season due to transfer regulations, but will finish his university basketball career having played every game of his career

Image: Tree Frog Imaging

From their rookie seasons through their present campaigns, Klaus Figueredo (left) and Jasper Moedt (right, with moustache) have made an impact on courts across western Canada. for UFV. The 6’7 battler can usually be found in the key, knocking in baskets and swatting chances away — he’s a staple in UFV scoring plays.

As play began, the intensity between the teams was the highest it’s been all season. Both teams were well coached and knew the other’s tendencies, striking after weaknesses.

Deep into the fourth quarter, the Cascades trailed by three. It was at this point that Figueredo took over, scoring 10 straight points to put the Cascades ahead. The Spartans, however, were not ones to cave and made the game close, coming within three points with 17 seconds left. Spartans coach Scott Allen called a timeout and drew up

the play that would get Trinity a quick and easy basket. They gave the ball to big Denny McDonald who went up for the dunk, but Moedt was there with a block, winning the game for UFV. “We played like a team that … was at next weekend already,” head coach Adam Friesen said after the game. “That’s part hu-

man nature but it shows the resiliency and togetherness of our guys ... our guys stayed mentally there.” “[It’s] huge, huge,” he said of the efforts of Figueredo and Moedt. “It seems like every day we have guys that step up and make plays, and especially on a senior weekend for those [two] in particular to show up and have such a big performance, especially down the stretch, was fitting.”

Friesen rewarded the pair for their hard work by allowing them to rest for the weekend’s second game, playing them sparingly and replacing them with Hudson Simon and Gurminder Kang, both getting their first opportunities to play in a game since November 23 against the Univeristy of Saskatchewan.

The Spartans played hard basketball despite this being a mean-nothing game, taking and re-taking the lead, but when it came down to the end it was Friesen’s slick team that took it all, registering their 14th straight win as they head into the playoffs.

The Cascades next have a three games series at home on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday against the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns, the thirdranked team from the Prairie division.

Women’s basketball clinches first place in division

Image: Tree Frog Imaging

Courtney Bartel (4), Aieisha Luyken (3), and Nicole Wierks (10) listen to Coach Tuchscherer during a stoppage in play.

NATHAN HUTTON THE CASCADE

In their last matchup of the season, the Trinity Western University Spartans failed to provide any real competition for UFV. Aieisha Luyken led the way, tallying 22 points in the 7854 victory.

The women’s basketball team

also honoured the largest number of seniors of all UFV’s varsity teams.

Luyken and Nicole Wierks are two leaders who will be leaving. They’ve grown into stars in their time at UFV, and boosted their team into a formidable one on many nights. Courtney Bartel, a teammate of Wierks through high school, and Samantha Kurath were valuable

in support roles, providing the type of depth a team needs to survive a season. For Alexa McCarthy, injuries prevented her from getting on the floor at all this season. But McCarthy has been a presence on the bench all year and is stepping into an assistant coaching role under Al Tuchscherer.

All five players grew into their different roles during the years

and will be missed by their teammates and coaches. The five seniors saw their team go from 2-16 in their first year together to 17-5 this year and a consistent top-10 national ranking.

The second game of the weekend proved to be a blowout like the night before and the Cascades got the security to rest their best players as they prepare for the playoffs. The Sas-

quatch player of the game was Nataliia Gavryliuk who finished with 17 points, eight rebounds, and four assists in the team’s 5539 victory.

This weekend the Cascades get a much needed break as they prepare for their next big task; a three-game playoff at home against the University of Calgary Dinos.