The World Trade Organization Protests in Seattle
November 30, 1999
The anti-WTO resistance in Seattle on November 30, 1999, and continuing on for several days after, far exceeded anyone s expectations. An estimated 45,000 50,000 people participated in mass demonstrations in downtown Seattle on the opening day of the WTO meeting severely disrupting the conference and highlighting the widespread resistance to the policies of the WTO: The response from the civic authorities was to declare a state of civil emergency in the downtown area, imposing martial law and authorizing the deployment of some 200 National Guard soldiers. These troops were added
to the thousands of police and riot police already in the streets who used batons, pepper-spray, tear-gas, rubber bullets, concussion grenades, helicopters, and at least two armored personnel carriers to attack demonstrators, disperse them, and clear them out of the downtown area. A 7:00 pm to 7:30 am curfew was imposed, a no-protest zone was enforced on an approximately 50 block radius around the WTO conference site, and over 500 protesters were arrested. Nevertheless, the daily protests continued; mass civil disobedience and targeted destruction of corporate targets in the downtown area, along
with a strong will not to submit to their repression, characterized the spirit of the demonstration. What was once a littleknown but powerful international body has now been brought to the world s attention, and the resistance in the streets has shown how strong the opposition is. More than a trashing for the WTO, N. 30 was a historical event that will have far-reaching implications for both resistance movements and public society as a whole as we enter a new millennium.
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UCFV conference aims to revive nationalist vision for Canada
by Anne RussellUCFV conference aims to revive nationalist vision for Canada
Canada s conservative tradition has been hijacked by right-wing idealogues who, during the reign of Brian Mulroney, turned the Progressive Conservative party into a lapdog of American republicanism.
So says UCFV political science professor Ron Dart. He wants Canadians to remember and reclaim a Red Tory tradition going back two centuries that resisted colonization by the United States and talked back to empires.
Historically, Canadian conservatives were very obstinate nationalists while the liberals were more market-driven and open to economic and cultural annexation by the U.S., says Dart. That changed with Mulroney, as classical liberalism crept into the Tory camp. I ve never seen a Conservative prime minister so eager to genuflect towards the American empire. In contrast, the last great Tory PM, Diefenbaker, was hated by Kennedy because he stood up to him.
These days, most Canadians would lump the names Reagan, Mulroney, Thatcher, Klein, and Harris together with a conservative label, Dart says.
The people of Canada have been robbed of their memory and their unique language, says Dart. Even conservatism is defined by the American point of view. Im attempting to give us back our own language, our own way of defining our country, history, and stories, so that we have something to resist the ongoing imperialism with.
To that end, Dart has written a book of essays, The Red Tory Tradition, and organized a conference on a similar topic at UCFV next month, to remind Canadians of their history of strong nationalism and devotion to the commonweal or common good.
The traditional Canadian way isn t corporate liberalism, where the rights of the individual prevail over everything, or the neorepublicanism of the Reform Party, says Dart. Our tradition is to have a strong federal government to protect the interests of our people and our country. We have traditionally not minded paying more taxes if it helped protect and create a good country. Remembering this history is very important now as a strong state is about the only defense against rampant globalization and the ruthless, winner-take-all Darwinian economics that come with it.
Dart s definition of nationalism is a healthy and robust one, based on the model of most Scandinavian countries, not the jingoistic nationalism that has led to war in the Balkans.
It s one where we have concern for our own country but also act as agents of justice in the rest of the world.
Dart has invited a who s-who of cultural nationalists to next month s conference, which is entitled The Canadian Political Tradition
The Nationalist Vision, and is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, February 4 and 5, 2000.
I m bringing in people who have held high the flag of nationalism.
David Orchard, co-founder of Citizens Concerned About Free Trade, who tried to bring the Progressive Conservative Party back to its Tory roots by running for it~ leadership (and placing second to Joe Clark). His topic: Retrieving the Nationalist Vision within the Progressive Conservative Party. UCFV political scientist Jay Haaland will respond to him.
Robin Mathews, a longtime defender of Canadian nationalists and the Crown jewel of Canadian political poets. His topic: The Maple Leaf and The Eagle. UCFV English professor Miriam Nichols will respond to him.
William Christian, biographer of George Grant, who was one of Canada s great Red Tory philosophers. Christian will speak on George Grant and George Parkin: Varied Notions of Nationalism. Trinity Western s Mark Charlton will respond.
Ron Dart himself, who will speak on Stephen Leacock and his forgotten role as a pioneer of the Red Tory tradition. UCFV historian Michael Boudreau will respond.
The Canadian Political Tradition The Nationalist Vision, runs Friday and Saturday, February 4 and 5, at UCFV s Abbotsford campus in the main lecture theatre (B 10 I). Admission is free. Interested members of the public are advised to arrive early-to ensure a seat. It starts with a plenary session with all speakers on Friday night at 7 p.m. Speakers begin at 9 a.m. on Sa~urday, and continue through to 5 p.m.
The conference is sponsored by the UCFV Political Science/Philosophy, History, and Social, Cultural, and Media Studies departments, with financial support from the Leon and Thea Koerner Foundation.
For more inforniation contact Ron Dart at 8537441, local 4319 or e-mail Dartr@ucfv.bc.ca.
Langara pummeled in clash of the titans
UCFV move into the top spot provincially
by Shomik BhattacharyaThe gym was packed on Friday night. Every hardcore basketball fan was frenzied with excitement. I should know, I was one of them. These two titans of their division and nationally, would face off for what would be the most exciting, early season game of Mens Basketball. It would be our racing, reeling, wheeling and dealing, speed demons versus the barnstorming, blistering, rough, and sluggish, Langara Men. It would be brute power versus untamed speed.
On Friday evening, the University of the Fraser VaHey Men s Basketball team, hosted the Langara Men s Baskeball team. The UCFV men were tied in their division with Langara, and were third in the national rankings, bested only by Langara, and Algonquin. To add to the drama was the two different styles of play that would decide who was better.
we would just take it back. It shows the strong character of this team in what we were able to accomplish tonight. Last year we were not ready mentally to beat Langara, this year we were ready to beat Langara. Our guys played hard all night
Indeed this team was not only fast and furious but spectacular as well. Lead by the ballhawking of Wayne Jones, the team was able to go out and run and get easy layups or dunks. Even on set plays, leaping gazelles, like Pat McKay, would be there to stuff the ball back in. Yet, this was very much a team effort with each player knowing his role, and doing it to the best of his ability. If there is a concern, this team needs to rebound better, on the defensive end. Considering the size and quickness that this team has, that should not be a major problem in fine tuning. For now this is definitely a team to enjoy watching.
Cascades Women fall prey to Langara Falcons.
by Shomik BhattacharyaThe UCFV Womens Basketball team faced off against the Langara Women s team on Januaryl4. In this early season meeting, Langara was undefeated in five games, while our women s team had only one loss. Even with the loss ofa Lindsay Fennell, a key player on the team, the UCFV Women were still ready to compete.
In the first half, the score was close with Langara never leading by any more than six I points. In an excellent, though late, first half drive, the UCFV Women were able to tie the game with three-pointer from Lindsay Strickland, with I :08, to play. With the score only 32 to 38 in Langara s favour, the game seemed far from over. As coach Sandy Chambers noted We played well in the first half and then we just didn t execute in the second It seemed the UCFV women lost focus in the second half and let the game slip by them. The final score was 59 to 78, for the Langara Women s team. Later Coach Chambers said We got outrebounded by a large number and we let them drive to the hoop. But this is a young team and it played well in the first half and we can only get better. In commenting on the loss of Lindsay Fennell, Coach Chambers said: Lindsay was a tremendous player, who led the division in
several categories, but if you don t have the dedication and attitude, you can t play successfully. The team I have has adjusted. They re excited, they work hard, and they have a good attitude She felt that the season is very young and that the women will grow together as the season progresses
•In looking at this team, it is clear that while it is quick and aggressive on the offensive glass, they have some areas they need to work on. Perhaps most notable is that this team needs to focus on playing better team defense and getting better defensive rebounding position. They need to understand how to control the tempo of a game and slow the game down when they get in trouble. They tend to hurry the offense which lead to turnovers whenever the Langara -women scored a series of buckets. J3y learning to calm down, there will be less turnovers and the team will be able to psychologically keep themselves in the game. This team s future is bright, if they continue to improve over the season. By season send, they will be a smarter and more experienced team.
On Saturday, the UCFV Women s team lost a close game to the Capilano women steam, by a score of 64 to 63. The UCFV women are now 4 and 3, with a fifth • place standing.
Lead by the devastatingly quick guard, Wayne Jones, the UCFV Men took a commanding 45 to 33 halftime lead. Comparatively, the Langara Men, looked like Old Men, trying to keep up with the uptempo style of the UCFV Men. Their quickness, overall team defense and excellent offensive rebounding were major factors in their control of the tempo, for most of the game. The end result was an 87 to 77, win for the UCFV Men s Basketball team. Coach Pat Lee ~oted that: It s always mistakes that help a team grow and get better. We made mistakes, and adjusted. We held the fort, and then they held the fort, and
On Saturday, the UCFV Men s Basketball team creamed the Capilano Men s team by a score of I 05 to 79. The Men steam is now undefeated in seven games, they lead the league. The good times keep rolling
Editor note: Algonquin, Canada's number one ranked college men's basketball team lost their game against Humber College last weekend. With this loss, the Cascades moved into the top position in Canada.
Activists say Ottawa ignoring anti-WTO protests
by Dave Leibl The ManitobanWINNIPEG (CUP)-A month after more than 50,000 people protested against the World Trade Organization (WTO) summit in Seattle, activists are saying Ottawa is still not getting the message.
We think the Canadian Government should take a good look at its overall approach towards trade liberalization, said Jo Dufay, campaigns co-ordinator for the Council of Canadians. We will be putting pressure on the government to fundamentally rethink their approach.
Just over a month ago, between Nov. 29-Dec 3, delegates from around the world gathered in Seattle for a WTO summit, a global collective of 135 nations whose goal is to remove economic barriers to international trade.
In response, thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of this normally placid West Coast city to protest against the international trade collective.
Critics say the WTO will sacrifice environmental, educational and labour standards within individual nations in the name of freer world trade.
Delegates at the Seattle summit were hoping to begin negotiating a set of rules that would govern trade worldwide. But due to conflicts among the delegates, and the mass demonstrations outside, the talks collapsed.
Now, a little over a month later, senior Canadian trade officials insist progress will be made when trade discussions resume in coming months.
Discussions are already under way on when talks should resume, and Canada believes that the foundation has been laid for a future agreement, said International Trade Minister Pierre Pettigrew in a prepared statement last month.
Pettigrew s office did not return phone calls for this article. But in his statement he did express frustration with the Seattle talks.
Canada is very disappointed that attempts to
launch a new round of global trade talks at the World Trade Organization have been suspended, he wrote.
Pettigrew has repeatedly emphasized the advantages of an open and rules-based global trading system, and says he is anticipating the resumption of discussions.
We are committed to moving forward, he said.
But some organizations are not in agreement with the government s position on international trade.
Dufay, from the Council of Canadians, says the government is demonstrating ignorance by pursuing further trade talks.
He says the large anti-WTO protest movement in Canada indicates Canadians don t want to be involved in a .global trade deal.
What they [the demonstrators] are saying is that citizens don t want this increased liberalization of trade at the expense of social programs, at the expense of environmental pro-
Scholarship confuses students
by Dave Hazzan The Marlet UVICVICTORIA (CUP) If you received a Millennium Scholarship and you re from British Columbia be careful where you spend it. Thats the same money as your standard thirdand fourth-year grant, but it snot extra cash.
Many third- and fourth-year students received letters from the Millennium Scholarship Fund an autonomous foundation created by Ottawa just before Christmas, telling them they had been awarded between $2,000 and $4,000.
But that money was already awarded to them through the province s Grants Program. Confused? So are the recipients.
I had heard of the Millennium Scholarship Fund when I was applying for my 8.C. loan, said Beth Duncan, a third-year humanities student at the University of Victoria. In the loan package it sa1d I was applying for a loan, a grant and a scholarship.
In September, Duncan found she got the loan and the grant but there wasn t a word on the scholarship until Dec. 22.
I got this letter from the Millennium Scholarship Fund and it said I had been awarded S3,400 or so. So I said great, woo-hoo, I got all this money' she said.
What the Millennium Scholarship Fund didn t tell Duncan was that the scholarship money
was the exact same money as her grant. After doing a bit of research Duncan found out there was no extra money just what she had known about since September.
When asked whether students had been complaining about the delivery of the program, federal Tre-asury Board finance assistant Kim Rapagna chuckled heartily, There are too many [complaints] to mention.
Each province signed onto the program with individual ideas, said Rapagna. It s done within provincial parameters.
The Millennium Scholarship Fund was created by the Federal Government in their 1998 budget, and although the money is from Ottawa it s administered by the provinces.
A form letter sent by the Millennium Scholarship Fund to each recipient does not mention once that the money had already been awarded, or is administered through a provincial grants program.
The B.C. government asked that the Millennium Scholarship Fund be used to fund their third- ·and fourth-year grants, to complement the first- and second-year grants awarded by the province.
The letter seems to say you re getting a Millennium Scholarship, in addition to what you nonnally get from the B.C. government, said University of Victoria Student Society (UVSS) Director of Finance Summer McFayden.
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tection, at the expense of the ability to protect the health of citizens, he said.
Vancouver lawyer Steven Shrybman, author of The World Trade Organization: A Citizens Guide, agrees with Dufay that Ottawa has been unwilling to respond to Canadians who oppose the WTO.
There isn t much evidence that this government is listening, he said.
Shyrbman adds that before the WTO meets again Ottawa needs to fully inform Canadians as to what the discussions entail.
They [the government] have to bring this stuff out of the back room and let people understand what s at stake, he said. T rade policies can no longer remain the exclusive preserve of a handful of trade bureaucrats.
As a result, recipients think they re getting an extra couple of thousand dollars, when they re not getting anything they didn t know about before.
McFayden like most people in the UVSS and the Canadian Federation of Students believes both students and tax payers would have been better served by a national program ofneedsbased grants.
[The fund] is full of red tape and heavy on bureaucracy, said McFayden. They sent this letter out to toot their horn about the fund, but it s confused tons of people. McFayden says the UVSS has received more than a few phone calls from confused or broke Millennium Scholarship recipients.
Duncan feels she was lucky in that she didn t spend any extra money, thinking she was $3,500 richer. But she knows others who weren t so thrifty.
Tons of people I know got this letter, just before Christmas, and spent the money, she said.
A spokesperson from the B.C. Ministry of Advanced Education did not return phone calls.
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Globalization:not all it's trumpedup to be
byPatricia MongeyThe more the antagonisms of the present must be suffered, the more the future is drawn upon as a source of pseudo-unity and synthetic morale." C. Wright Mills
The world, at least North America, is frenzied with the fervour of global fever. We seem to be so desperate for something to have faith in that we placidly accept the continuous onslaught of propaganda espousing the virtues of globalization. Media experts orchestrate fantastical and illusionary imagery and scripts intended to entice us to accept the inevitable; the abolishment of national boundaries, the reduced power of governments, the elevation of the individual, and the eventual domination of corporations, but we don t care because life will be better. But, just how will life be better?
We have access to information at speeds never before imagined, but in what ways are we provided the knowledge to actually put that information to practical use? People can no longer claim ignorance to the extreme suffering of third world nations yet, instead of participating to bring about the elimination of this suffering many people tum their backs on the problem and choose to ignore its existence. Many fail to realise that their future will not be better without fully participating in using their access to information to discard the lies that are told to us, and expose the real agenda of world leaders. Leaving the problem to political leaders will not get the job done. Politicians are too busy drawing up alliances with corporations to worry about people. Corporations only care about reducing costs and increasing profits. Evidence of this is clear in agreements such as NAFTA, APEC, and th~ near ratification of the MAI.
One argument continuously put forward in support of globalization is that third world countries will eventually enjoy improved standards of living and better working conditions as a result of corporations having more freedom to conduct business around the globe. Another argument promotes the belief that conditions for third world countries wi II naturally improve so that the West can continue to enjoy the same standards we are traditionally accustomed to. As inviting
as these arguments may be they deny certain facts. The western world did not receive the benefits enjoyed today as a resylt of kindhearted, beneficent governments and corporations. People fought for benefits such as El, Welfare, Employment Standards, Workers Compensation, Healthcare, and Education. If decisions on these matters had been left up to those in power, it is likely that we would never have received them. Further evidence to this is the way in which these benefits are now.being slowly stripped away.
It is hard to imagine that a factory worker in Guatemala might soon enjoy the benefits that workers in a developed nation, Canada, are slowly losing. It seems more plausible that as national boundaries become further eroded and corporations harness stronger clout in dictating world economies they will be able to feed us the bottom line. They will tell us that we either accept lowered standards or they will take their business to countries where their labour costs will be at the barest minimum and the workers will accept whatever conditions they are offered. And they have been provided enough insight to know they will get away with it. O_neneed only revisit the APEC protests, at UBC for evidence. Students were exercising their democratic right to protest oppression, human suffering, and totalitarian leadership. The student s rights were violated and instead of standing behind them, most Canadian s turned their backs claiming the students were an embarrassment to Canada.
Corporations know that North Americans have bought into the individualistic, self-centred belief that it is every person for themselves, and that they needn t speak out until their own comfort and safety is seriously threatened. If we have to wait for this to reach pandemic proportions then it may already be too late. Unemployment rates are at an all time high, some Canadian politicians are pushing for the abolishment of the minimum wage, hospital waiting lists continue to grow, and important education programs are being cut. If the governments who are supposed to act in the best interest of the people they serve are taking these services and benefits away, you can be damned sure corporations will not be giving them back.
Reflections on being part of a riot
by Samuel WagarI was living in Toronto in a small apartment with my girlfriend doing a lot of left-wing political agitation and working with the anarchist magazine Kick It Over. The police had just performed a series of raids on gay bathhouses around the city and charged a number of men as found-ins (as in found in a bawdy house ). This was in 1980 when AIDS hadn t hit and the enthusiastic promiscuity of the sexual revolution was still in full strut through the gay male community (and to some lesser extent through the heterosexual communities as well).
So the gay community leaders called a rally and demonstration for midnight at Yonge and Wellesley, the centre of the gay ghetto.
Gay demonstrations were always so much fun. They had the sound truck blaring dance music and flamboyantly dressed men camping it up through the streets. Lots of
dancing and fun. A celebration of sex and politics, the heady expectation of a great change in the world, toward a world oflovers.
So I decided to go with a small group of friends because there was some chance of trouble. The homophobic KKK had been organizing through the city and there d been an increase in queerbashing and there was always a chance of trouble at a large demo: And that day another small group of raids had been done.
We arrived about 11:30; myself, my girlfriend, another woman, and two gay male friends who promptly wandered off and started schmoozing. There were already a few hundred people there and gradually over the next half-hour or so clumps of friends came out of the subway and our numbers grew and we spilled off the sidewalk onto the street. There were only a few cops around they knew the gay community events were always well organized and friendly.
The sound truck arrived and we started to march. My gay buddies rejoined us and off we went. Although on the surface it seemed like other events there were a lot of men walking oddly, stifflegged and tense, with less of the happy buoyant air of other events. We walked to the police station with curious onlookers on the sidewalk generally walking along with us for a few minutes. There was one group of young inen who stayed together as they walked along, yelling a few obscenities at the march as we passed nothing unusual. I remember one vivid small scene of a limo crossing our path and a group of us circling it and starting to rock it until the parade marshals came and opened a path for the driver to get through.
After the usual boring speeches at the police station we were asked to disperse into groups for protection against bashers. There was still this odd tension in the air and lots of angry but unfocused guys whose friends had been arrested in the last couple days.
Then a marshal came running back shouting, Marshals to the front! I immediately began running to the front of the dispersing crowd to see what was happening, my hands in fists. I saw the group of young men that had taunted us earlier on, several of them holding sticks (pickets ripped from a fence) and beating a man who was laying down on the roadway. With a scream I, together with a hundred others, began running toward these men.
There were no police anywhere. Running through this heightened awareness the light appeared blazingly bright, my running both very rapid and very slow in the strange adrenaline state. Hundreds of people running through the centre of the street, turning a comer almost upon these men who threw their pickets behind them to slow us down. Then, suddenly, between the racing crowd and the bashers a line of riot clad cops. Like a wave splashing up against a breakwall hundreds of enraged demonstrators hit the wall of cops. continued on page 15.
dvoid
by Christopher BolsterHappy New Years! Welcome back to the grind. About a week before classes started boredom had set in and I had the urge to get back to school and the grind of the newspaper business. This feeling, however, was short lived.
On the morning of the first day, my alarm clock screamed at me at the usual time and I rolled over to throw it across my bedroom. At that moment I first felt the dread of the semester. It started slowly, as most loathing does. By the time I was in the shower I could definitely feel it. With every step toward the bus stop the feeling swelled. By the time I pushed my key into the lock of the Cascade office door, I was fully conscious of the next four months. The deadlines, the morning grind, the realities of a university education. I opened the door and stepped through. I looked at my messy office and it dawned on me: although this semester will be hectic, I know that I really couldn t do it any other way. I am addicted to the madness. On that note, I welcome everyone back to his or her own private insanity.
The Referendum on Cascade Autonomy
So the Student Union has set the date for the new Health, Dental and Cascade Autonomy Referendum. The polling will take place from January 26 to February 4, 2000. I thought that I would ta~e this opportunity to rehash the issue of Cascade autonomy.
The Cascade was established as the newsletter of the Student Union in September 1993. Over the past seven years, we have been working hard to publish thought provoking, insightful and relevant issues. The Student Union and the staff of the Cascade believe that the Cascade has reached the point where independence is the next step in its development. The reason that we have brought the issue to the referendum is that once the Cascade is independent it will no longer be funded by the Student Union. An autonomous Cascade would get its funding directly from the UCFV Student body. We ran an autonomy survey last year and most students supported the idea of a three dollar levy per student per semester.
There has been an issue raised about the $13,000 that the Student Union would normally give us. If they are no longer giving us the money, then it is like they get an increase in their budget. A source in the Student Union has informed that they are most likely going to take the money and put it towards the building ofa Student Union building which would incorporate a student pub, a store, some restaurants, club rooms and a variety of other things. In addition, I have been told that the Student Union will take part of the $13,000 and reinvest it into the Student Emergency Grant program. The Student Union gives a considerable amount of money to students in financial need every semester.
Autonomy changes the nature of the paper. Independence means that students at large will be elected as directors of the Cascade Publishing Society Board. This means that students who fund the Cascade will have direct input into the way their money is spent in the newspaper. This is a major change from the current structure.
Independence is extremely important for the Cascade and the students ofUCFV. It is really important that newspapers are not owned by the government. Not only are there the dilemmas of censorship and accurate reporting, but would you trust a newspaper that the federal government owned, publishing stories about itself? Independent media is critical. (Except for probably the mainstream, big business directed dailies that Conrad Black owns. We all know what his agenda is.) Government owned newspapers are just propaganda machines for the state. The Cascade needs to be independent to be able to keep an eye on what is going on with the UCFV Administration and the Student Union. It is really in the best interest of the UCFV students to vote yes for autonomy.
Dear Editor, Letters to- Editor
Disabled Parking, have you ever wondered why they have such a thing? Those fancy blue and white signs with a wheelchair on them. Those great big blue squares on the ground with a white wheelchair on them. Why do we need such things?
Have you ever come back to your vehicle and found some idiot who should not have a driving license (who may not) parked halfway into your stall? To top it off you cannot open your door to get in and go about your daily chores. This is part of the reason!
At the University College of the Fraser Valley, Abbotsford Campus they have made a good effort to provide adequate disabled parking facilities. They are spread around campus and normally one will ,be available to use. However, the policing of these stalls leaves a lot to be desired. Even when you go to Facilities and Security to report an illegally parked vehicle you get the impression of, why are you bothering ine? The reason that I am bothering you is that I am disabled (although I may not appear to be) and I am trying to get into a parking spot that is governed by the Motor Vehicle Act and administered by the Social Planning and Review Council. But due to the lack of consideration by_another driver (I use this word loosely) I am unable to park within reasonable walking distance. The walking distance is not only on the exterior of the buildings but mainly on the interior. It is quite a hike from the bookstore to the far end of Building 0 D.
Without a doubt the stalls that are used by offenders the most are those adjacent to the bookstore. Who are these offenders, delivery people, couriers, contractors, staff vehicles, people picking up staff and students and other persons entering the building. Success you have a parking spot here. The objective now is to get out of the spot, especially during normal working hours. This is the receiving area for the college, so you have large vans, small vans, supplies for the cafeteria and the list goes on.
I think that you have the idea of what I a trying to get across. There is a definite need and reason for disabled parking spots. Please respect them. In closing a funny incident in my mind (not at the time but). I was parked in a disabled parking spot at the end ofa row, whilst I was away another vehicle parked against the drivers side door so that I could not access it. There was not one around who was thin enough to get into my car, so I went to the passenger side, popped off my leg and climbed through to go home. Not only is this frustrating, but it is embarrassing to people who have to witness such an incident. fhank you. Have a good year.
Trevor L. Mendham Fine ArtsUniversity College of the Fraser Valley A226 33844 Ktng Road
Abbotsford, B.C V2S 7M5 (p) 604. 854. 4529· (f) 604. 859. 5187. cascadeCh1cfv.bc.ca
Staff
Christopher Bolster Editor-In-Chief Mellssa Kennedy Managing Editor •Jesse MacPherson Arts and Ent Editor vacant Business Manager James Clark Staff Writer Chrlstophe,r Bolster Jesse Macpherson Production slavesContributers
Shomik Bhattacharya, Dave Leibl, Dave Hazzan, Sam Wagar, Patricia Mongey, Jeff Baillie, stuntfrau, Darrell Alary, Jorj, Jordan Van Spronsen, the Saddest Sadist, Stan Wiebe, and Erin the copy editor
The Cascade is the UCFV students' free press. Editorial content is 100% separate from the students' governing body, the UCFV Student Union Society. The Cascade is published twelve times per year, from September to April. The Cascade has a circulation of two thousand papers, distributed throughout Abbotsford; Chilliwack, and Mission. The Cascade is a proud member of the Canadian University Press, a national network of university and college newspapers. The Cascade follows the CUP ethical policy concerning material of prejudicial or oppressive nature. The Cascade office is located in building A, on the Abbotsford campus.
Letters to Editor
Letterlengthshouldbe kept under four hundredwords. Sadly, if letters exceed this limit they will be abruptly ended with a .J. Lettersthat have been subjectedto the uncompromisingbackslash will be posted in the Cascade office, and the public will be able to view them during office hours.
Deadlines
The deadlinefor all submissionsis Monday at high noon, Suhrnission.son dis}<:or email are preferred, because then we don't have to spend valuable time retyping your work. We will, in certain cases, except submissionsthat have been typed • out on a word processor or typewriter. Please save electronic copy as 'Text only.' The Cascade will consider publishing anonymousletters only if circumstancesindicate the possibility of negative repercussions.
:,,~~~
Disclaimer
The opinions and values expressed in the articles of the Cascade newspaper are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the values of the Cascade or the University College of the Fraser Valley,All submissions are reviewed, how~ ever the Cascade retains the right to the final decision on edit:, ing and/or publication.
All advertisers buying space in this newspaper, and in student papers in one or more other markets, should contact Campus Plus (416-966-8811 or info@campusplus.com), our multimarket ad representative."
GO ...GO Globalization
by James ClarkIn early December 1999, Seattle protest groups claim a victory over the globalpower-structure-elite-money-men. In late December 1999, everyone takes off their wool and Birkenstocks and goes home suffering from the effects of tear-gas, pepper-spray, and cheap American liquor. In January 2000, we sober up, tum on CNN, and ask, "What the heck was it all about?" Why not let The Cascade field this post-Seattle fallout query.
Why we like globalization: Canada was founded upon Europe's obsession with big floppy hats. These hats were made of beaver fur which, apart from being good at keeping beavers warm, when turned into felt made even the shortest Frenchmen appear at least six inches taller. With the addition of a big fluffy ostrich feather (hence the colonization of Africa) Europeans were able to lilt around at fancy parties and get laid by chunky mistresses. Life was great for the European but short lived for Europe's beavers. Enter Canada: a land afflicted by a staggering overpopulation of beavers and precious little fashion sense or anything else. Starting with the export of beavers and anything else that could be caught and clubbed easily, and culminating with Celine Dion, Canada has specialized in exporting things that we are sick
of in favour of things that our fat lumberjack fingers can't produce, like culture. (Thank goodness for Wal-Mart, Hollywood, and Las Vegas.) Trading is what brings money into Canada; money allows us to buy porno.
Trading is what the World Trade Organization (WTO} is all about. Sixty-seven percent of Canada's wealth comes from exports. Without trade Canada would suffer. Duh, but what does the WTO have to do with trade? The WTO is a voluntary organization.of heads of sovereign nations, and their goal is the reduction of trade barriers around the world. Think of it as a global NAFTA. Lower international trade barriers allow Canadian companies to export their animals, electricity, and pop-stars into countries with more taste than the US or Mexico. Of course this trading system works both ways. In Canada we have to allow Third World nations to send us their shoes, shirts, and party favors (isn't it ironic that all of our Christmas ornaments come from countries where Christianity is about as popular as Different Strokes reruns.) All of these cheap manufactured goods come at a price, a low price. Slave and child labour laws are nonexistent in many of these places, so this means that manufactured goods are extremely cheap. Should we remove any trade restrictions to these countries we will be able to buy everything from dildos to personal computers for a lot less than we pay now.
Some people may object to the use of children and slaves in the production of things we don't need. Keep in mind that if we didn't pay them seven cents a day to make shoes then they would starve to death because welfare is a pipe dream. The summit in Seattle supposed to ensure global, minimal standards on wages and pollution. It was also supposed to bring some of the poorer countries into the group of trading nations. Poor people eating, consumers getting lower prices, producers able to reach a larger market more cheaplysounds great, right? So why are everyone and his dog, cat, and turtle so opposed to it? A constant stream of misinformation creates an atmosphere where no single voice of sanity can be heard.
Why we selfishly, ignorantly hate the WTO: Ignorance, information, technology, the internet, globalization we hear these words all the time but what do these catchphrases mean? To a person that can use them th~y mean power. Power is morally neutral. Like Skelator knew, if he could just control the infinite magic of Castle Grey Skull he could beat He Man. Today, wool-clad madmen on computerized soapboxes with bad haircuts and a grasp on reality somewhat akin to Xeena Warrior Princess' seem to control public opinion. Forget what anyone tells you about Globalization; listen to your reason (and me of course) and think about it.
Environmentalists object to the WTO because it will destroy the environment. Whx?. It's supposed to set a global minimal standard on pollution controls. If a country fails to reach these standards the WTO will have the power to enforce them. Right now we have no legal right to interfere with the inner workings of anyone's country (except our own and some others through the occasional CIA coup). Trade unionists are pissed because they will lose jobs to third world workers, but no one's going to put up a shoe factory in Canada anyway because our labour is too expensive already. Besides, the WTO is supposed to enforce a global working wage standard. which is why China is also mad because it would rather not pay its workers. Nationalists are mad because they feel they will lose national sovereignty, but t_hey won't; if the WTO interferes with our country then we can opt out at any time. Of course by opting out of the WTO we lose all the goodies that trn9e liberalization gives us. So join me next time the WTO is in town and I'll save some tear gas and riot gear and we can have some fun taunting protesters and helping corporate Canada make _the world a richer place for everyone.
Fuzzy Perspectives of a Drunken Elitist
And now for something completely different....
by stunfrau.I'm troubled. I just checked my e-mail, and I have mail from my ex-husband. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing; it's just odd. Last week, he slammed my door hard enough to break it, this week he's sending me funny inter-net jokes. Weird. At any rate, I don't really want to write about my ex-husband, he would make far too much of it if he ever found out that he was the principle chaPacter in one of my little rants. So anyway, welcome back to the fold. I hope you all had a fine season of festivity. I certainly did. I must have been a very good girl last year (despite my best efforts to be bad) because Santa spoiled me rotten~And New Years, well New Years ended up being an entire week dedicated to hedonistic passion feasting decadence. My sweet man lives in Northern Alberta, and we managed to co-ordinate days off, babysitting dilemmas, and the general clutter of the holidays to our maximum advantage. He was here for Christmas, (spent with my daughter) and we were there for New Years (spent without my daughter). I can't even begin to explain the experience of alternate reality posed in these two realms. I do love my kid, but what can I say, she's three. And hey, Granny and Grandad were more than happy to have her for the week. (or at least that's what they said at the time) Like I'm gonna argue. The end result was seven days of waking up at ten and getting up at two to go out seeking bacon and boozy coffee for breakfast, long soaks in a jetted jacuzzi, late nights sipping drambuie and frangelico on
ice .life can be so delicious. Of course, the rub is that it was all over on the second. I had to come home and deal with the reality that defines me as the caustic cynic my friends all know and claim to love. You see, this is a longdistance relationship, so the general giddy blindness of the fluffy pink cloud feel to come to a very abrupt end. POP goes the bubble, and I return to the utter chaos that is me. sigh. My kid was sick. my ex was is ('l tense is so problematic at times) a total bastard. my parents made it damned clear that they expect me to take very good care of them in their old age, my cat pissed in my closet. and by the end of the week, I had that really-nasty ugly my god I'm going to die stomach flu. Yep. Everything is looking good for the new millenium. Moments of pure bliss punctuated by large chunks of realism. But it's not too bad. I see my partner in hedonism again on the 9'h of February. By then. I should be comfortably numb and floating around in "Barbie-on-crack" mode. This is the guaranteed state of frazzled, sleep-deprived, deadline hopeful stuntfrau. I will be more than ready to don the rosy shades of uncharacteristic romantic optimism and apply my ever-functional utilitarian streak to the complete and absolute satiation of libidoquenching activity. What the hell. I suppose anything outside of my carefully organized schizophrenic chaos would be boring really.
Editor Note: I have spent more than a few drunken evenings with stuntfrau and it is completly out of her character to drop drinks.
EightMyths of
a Myth 1: Economic Globalization is Inevitable
Advocates of economic globalization try to describe it as an inevitable process, the logical outgrowth of economic and technological forces that evolved over centuries to their present form, nearly as if they were forces of nature, like gravity. But while global trade activity and concepts of free trade have existed since the distant past, they do not nearly begin to resemble the volume, speed, form or impact of today s activities, nor were they as deliberately plotted and structured.
Economic globalization in the modem era is not some kind of accident of evolution; it directly emerges from a set of institutions and rules created on purpose by human beings for a specific goal: to give primacy to certain economic-processes and values, and place them above all others.
In fact, modern day globalization has a birth date and a birthplace: Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, July 1944. That is when the worlds leading economists, bankers, corporate heads, and heads of Western governments tried to create a new economic system following the devastation of World War Two. They decided on a globally centralized system with global corporations as the engines of economic growth.
New institutions were created with new rules and powers to help grease the pathways for the corporations. Out of the Bretton Woods meeting grew instruments that later became the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), the North American Free Trade Agreement (N_AFTA), and now the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The primary function of these bodies is to place economic values above all others, and to establish rules that suppress the ability of nation-states to sustain laws that protect nature, workers, consumers and even national sovereignty and democracy if they can be construed as slowing down free trade. The net result is the greatest transfer of economic and political power from nation-states to corporatior\s ever in history.
But none of it is inevitable. All of it can be reversed once citizen movements and their governments realize the full consequences. To call what is essentially a collection of rules very consequential rules inevitable, is really designed to make everyone feel there is nothing to be done about it, thus promoting passivity.
Myth 2:weNeedGlobalization to Feed the Hungry
The globalization of corporate industrial-style agriculture has failed to address the world s hunger crisis; in fact, it makes it worse. During the past two decades, the total amount of food has increased, but hunger rates have also increased, far faster even than population growth.
The main problem is that globalization of food production is actually pushing small, self-reliant farmers who now account for 40 percent of global food production off their lands and replacing them with large chemical and machine intensive corporate fam1s. Evicted, landless farmers find themselves without jobs or money to buy food.
A 1993 study reported alarming percentages of rural families who now have insufficient land to support themselves or their communities. In Peru, the number of landless or land-poor was 75 percent, in Ecuador 75 percent, 66 percent in Colombia, 32 percent in Kenya, and 95 percent in Egypt, among many others.
The globalized industrial agricultural model does not emphasize food for hungry local communities. Instead it encourages export economies resulting in mono-cultures a single crop grown over thousands of acres. These crops are usually luxury high profit items such as flowers, beef, shrimp, cotton, coffee, and soybeans cultivated for export to well-fed countries. In addition, mono-cultures are notoriously vulnerable to insect blights and bad weather, and greatly contribute to soil infertility.
The big new trade institutions and agreements like the WTO and NAFTA as
well as the World Bank and the IMF all strongly favor the transition of agriculture from small-scale, locally oriented di verse agriculture to large scale mono-cultural production, using heavy chemical and machine inputs, directed toward export markets.
WTO policies of restricting direct payments to farmers yet encouraging subsidies for corporate export-oriented agribusiness brought global corporations into local communities, making survival difficult for small-scale farmers in every country of the world. Once driven from their lands, it is a short route to urban hunger lines. Meanwhile, traditional livelihoods and communities disappear.
Industrial agriculture advocates also suggest that global biotechnology companies have the answer to world hunger. But biotech production is also a mono-culture that does nothing to solve local hunger problems. It too produces luxury crops for export. Does anyone believe that the invention ofbiotech plants whose seeds are sterile and therefore force farmers to buy more seeds every year has something to do with stopping hunger? The biotech industry s goal is not to feed the hungry, but to feed itself.
A recent United Nations study confirms that the world already has enough food to feed the global population. The problem is one of distribution. Global trade rules put food production and distribution in the hands of agribusiness giants, supplanting the traditional system of local communities for local consumption. As a result, the world is producing the wrong kind of food (exports to the already well-fed) through a process that leaves millions of people landless, homeless, cashless, and
EconomicGlobalization
Myth 3: Globalization Will Alleviate Poverty
This has been strongly trumpeted since the beginning of Bretton Woods; free trade and globalization will, as classical economist David Ricardo wrote, lift all the boats and end poverty. But in the half-century since this big push began, the world has more poor and more hungry than ever before, and the situation is getting steadily worse.
According to a recently published (September 1999) UN report, global economic inequality has increased dramatically as the result of economic globalization and current rules of trade.
When the market goes too far in dominating social and political outcomes, the opportunities and rewards of economic globalization spread unequally and inequitably, concentrating power and wealth in a select group of people, nations, and corporations, marginalizing the others.
Economic globalization creates wealth, but only for the few elite who can sit
Myth 4: Economic Globalization Increases
Choice
The ultimate expression of choice is diversity, and economic globalization destroys both cultural and biological diversity. Globalization is homogenizing values and behaviors, producing a new global mono-culture, just as it creates mono-cultures in agriculture. While economic globalization may increase consumer choices in some cases, it drastically diminishes our choices in almost every sphere of life. Also, domination of major industries by a handful of multinational corporations makes it next to impossible for small, local producers to compete. When brands like Coca-Cola and Levi s proliferate around the globe they put local operators out of business, which limits consumer choice.
While Indian villagers may now have access to CNN and Baywatch, the dissemination of western popular culture by global media companies results in destroying diverse local cultural and artistic traditions. Some would argue that the western cultural cloning now underway is the direct result of deliberate corporate intrusion into other nations. Corporate advertising portrays not-so-subtle images that glorify western taste, dress, food, and lifestyles as being a sign of progress, while non-western traditional values and cultures are viewed as backward and out of date.
at the hub of the process, able to benefit from the surge of consolidations, mergers, global scale technology and financial activity. Recent figures confirm how it all works.
Benefits are so concentrated that the number if billionaires in the world has increased by 25 percent in only the last two years; collectively these 475 individuals are worth more than the combined GNP of all the UN-designated least developed countries and their 600 million people.
Of the 100 largest economies in the world, 52 are now corporations. Mitsubishi is the twenty-second largest economy in the world; General Motors is the twenty-sixth; Ford is thirty-first. All are larger than the national economies of Denmark, Thailand, Turkey, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Norway, Finland, Chile, etc., to name only a few. If anyone thinks that larger corporations means more jobs, an Institute for Policy Studies (!PS) report shows that the largest 200 corporations
now control 28 percent of global economic activity but employ less than one half of one percent of the global workforce. This is bes cause they enjoy tremendous efficiencies of scale, and new technology.
In the United States, the story is much the same. Though the U.S. is reaping the greatest benefits of globalization of any country, the benefits are not being shared. According to the Institute for Policy Studies, American CEOs now earn 417 times the wages of factory workers they employ. Between 1990 and 1998, CEO salaries increased by 481 percent, reports !PS and United for a Fair Economy.
And the U.S. Federal Reserve now reports that the top 20 percent of the U.S. population owns 84.6 percent of all the wealth in the country.
Some people point to the booming stock market and record low unemployment as evidence that economic globalization is working. But while the stock market has boomed, it actually does not reflect the real-
ity oflife for most people. Almost 90 percent of the value of all stocks and mutual funds owned by households is owned by the richest 10 percent.
Even in wealthy countries like the United States, median wages have fallen steadily as the economy has become globalized. From 1983 to 1998, the Standard and Poors 500 Index grew a cumulative 1,336 percent. Although unemployment is low, the average worker is earning ten percent less, adjusting to inflation, than he or she did in the early 1970s. Many need to hold two jobs to survive. Globalization exacerbates this trend by setting workers against each other all over the world to keep wages low. England actually advertises that its wages levels are the lowest in Europe.
So much for the rising tide that lifts all boats. Actually, it lifts only yachts.
Myth 5:Economic Globalization Increases
Environmental Standards in Developing Countries by Making.Countries Wealthier
Globalization
First of all, economic globalization does not produce wealth, save for a small percentage of people. The wealth that is produced is rarely spent on environmental programs. Multilateral lending agencies set up to further the agenda of economic globalization, such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, practically ensure environmental de-
struction. The conditions attach!!d to the loans from the IMF and the World Bank require that governments open up their natural resources to corporate exploitation and cut spending for environmental programs. In any case, some kinds of environmental destruction cannot be reversed through increased expenditure. No amount of money can bring back species pushed into extinction.
and increased use of packaging materials. It also requires devastating new infrastructure developments: new roads, ports, airports, pipelines, power grids often constructed in formerly pristine environments.
WTO agreements have already rolled back years of hard-won environmental gains made through national legislation and multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs), including measures agreed upon at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. To date, in every dispute case challenging a U.S. environmental regulation, the WTO has ruled against the environment. Its very first ruling, in fact, seriously weakened a part of the U.S. Clean Air Act. In I 997, the U :s. Environmental Protection Agency changed some of its clean air rules to allow dirtier, Venezuelan gasoline as a result of the ruling. In addition, the WTO has ruled against provisions of the U.S. Endangered Species Act and the U.S. has changed its regulations to comply with the WTO.
In the interests of advancing trade liberalization, commercial interests advising governments say trade rules must be consistent from country to country. However, instead of setting minimum standards for environmental protection, WTO agreements and dispute rulings effectively place a ceiling on environmental standards. This ensures that environmental regulation sink to the lowest common denominator, resulting in a downward harmonization of global standards.
Proponents of globalization point to the rising number of MEAs as evidence that environmental concerns are being addressed. However, most MEAs are largely voluntary and do not have effective enforcement mechanisms.
Myth 6: Oppositionto Economic Globalizationis Protectionist
Advocates of economic globalization have succeeded in making the term protectionism a dirty word. They use it to offuandedly dismiss everyone from environmentalists to consumers to small businesspeople to organized labour. Peasant farmers are lampooned as protectionists for resisting trade liberalization and for trying to preserve a so-called inefficient way of life that has served them and communities well for centuries.
If protectionism refers to protecting local jobs, public health, cultural diversity and natural resources, then protectionism is a good thing. The structure of economic globalization is in itself corporate protectionism from the regulation of democratic societies.
Myth·7: DevelopingCountriesAre Dependingon Economic Globalizationto Achieve First World Standards of Living
Developing countries are, in fact, becoming poorer, not richer. They are already paying the highest price for globalization. This is because the rules of the global bureaucracies invariably favor Northern corporate interests.
While it is widely accepted that the biosphere is incapable of sustaining six billion people at the consumption levels of the North, one cannot argue that poorer countries should stay poor while rich countries continue to consume more than their share.
The over-consumption of the north has been fueled by centuries of exploitation of the South s natural resources. So we must give a much higher priority to cutting Northern overconsumption, sharing resources and wealth and recognizing the South s legitimate need for sustainable development.
Myth 8:ThereisNo Realistic Alternative to Economic Globalization
There are many alternatives. But for the reasons outlined above, our current course is the one that is not realistic. By punishing countries and communities that fail to follow its rules, economic globalization actually precludes the development of other alternatives and growth models.
The expansion of the global economy inevitably marginalizes and renders obsolete the livelihoods of a large segment of the world s population. At the same time, it devastates the natural world, homogenizes cultures, and destroys communities.
The better path is to do exactly the opposite of what economic globalization advocates suggest. The more they say to remove restrictions on currency flows, the clearer it is.there should be strong restrictions on currency. The more they say free trade, the more we must fight for the powers of local communities and regions to act in the interests of their own resources, people and lands.
We should move away from economic globalization and toward a revitalization of local political and economic control, self-reliance and ecological preservation.
CuriousJ orj and the Tricky Woo
Rock and Roll lives. You need only ask anyone attending a Tricky Woo concert if they think that Rock and Roll is still alive. This is a band that rocks with Kiss power, while allowing it s fans to retain some modecum of self-respect for being fans. I swear to God, every third or fourth song you can pick out a guitar riff and sing along in your head with 1-1-1wanna rock and roll all night, and party e-ver-y day
They played the Starfish room this December, and I, tape recorder in hand (furry paw that is) struck out to get an interview. From the back of the room (monkeys have to stand at the back of the room, don t ask me • why, some health code rule or something) you could feel the energy flowing across the entire crowd gathered. It was a packed house. The performance was terrific. I have nothing more to say on the subject, it s one of those things you have to experience for yourself (like sleeping with Jane Goodal, trust me )
The band ended the show with a great rendition of ACDC s Rosie, and right in the middle some drunken fucking idiot jumped on stage. But instead of having him dragged off, they hand him a microphone and he sings along for about five minutes.
The interview started off normally enough, the band reluctantly feilding our annoyingly important questions while drunken crackwhores pawed them and whispered in their ears let s go out to your limo you do have a limo right?
First we(no, I don t think I m the Queen of England. I say we beacause my human friend Andrew came with me to take snap-shots my other friends Davor and Niel came too, but just to get drunk) spoke with Adrian Popowich, guitarist.
Just as we started into our interview, some drunken orange-haired girl who had come from the back of the bar, and had been making out with god-knows who, steps in between us and Adrian. She thinks we re playing some game (little does she know just how important Arts and Entertainment news is poor naieve little girl) and reaches into her bag to pull out her walkman, which she sticks in my face in the same way that I m holding my dictiphone up to Adrian s, and repeats every question I ask him back to me. Her name is Kasey. She thinks Tricky Woo is the # 1 rock n roll experience.
We posed to Adrian if you weren t so tricky, what kind of a Woo would you be?
Adrian, said: Sticky Eric Laroe (one man pep squad -he is in constant motion on stage and has a knack for getting t h e atlm: riled
up no matter how long they ve been on their feet listening to songs which are all very similar in style, structure, and composition) wandered over and overheard our question. He said, defiantly, that there could be no other kind of Woo other than Tricky. I guess it s something to do with genetics. I don t know. The closest I ve ever
cowboy attire, we re talking tassles and fringe and an unusually large hat. I asked what his position was in the Tricky Woo body, and they gave some smug, glib, smart-ass, skirt the issue, answer: he s the chest-shitter. we all go back to the hotel after the show and he shits on our chests. its part of the writing proccess. I suspect there s more to the Raven than we know. But we II have to delve deeper into that some other time.
The name of their latest album is Sometimes I Cry, so I asked Adrian what makes him cry. He replied that the Ronco Food Dehydrater makes me cry.
Eric Laroe said Id run out of tape.
Kasey said The Exorcist made her cry.
Adrian, Raven, where are Pat and Andrew (drummer and singer)? in the back room wacking off that thing s not on is it? I mean in the back room talking.
Raven, any final words? yes, I love you. Is that directed toward me or my readers? both Thank you ye ah , o k
keep a sorry dude, Ive
Raven Adrian, final words? music is not wrestling Eric? any final words? it real! (in
cigarettes. He was too drunk to shape his mouth into the necessary configurations for speech, so I ask~d one of the crack whores on his behalf...
If you weren t so tricky, what kind ofa Woo would you be? the woo that thekeblim na bla klabikes (she s a crack-whore for a reason, you know) O.K., what makes you cry? SCRAPPING!
As we made our way from the back room to the inner-belly of the Starfish, I heard one of the whores yelling hold him up! Pat, the drummer, was pretty drunk.
We found Andrew, lead vocalist, with Adrian in the club s office, arguing with
been to a science class is watching been tuning out. Alien: Ressurection.
We made our We then encountered THE RAVEN. , the back room of the Starfish way to and found
He is a funny looking fellow garbed in black cowboy attire. But not cool Johnny Cash
Cinderella Story: My Life in Golf Bill Murray (with George Peper)
A funny man, a funny man indeed. Can he write? Should he write? Can we understand him? Should we understand him? Do we want to understand him? He was hilarious on SNL, giving words to Star Wars. His imitations of people no one knows are uncanny. Dead ringer BOB. Excellent Carl in Caddyshack. Yeah, the movie with the name that has a lot of meaning for Billy. He comes back to his youth about every fourth page. His brothers and he were caddies back in the day. What day? I m not really sure. If you re a little bothered by the style of this book review, do not be alarmed. We control the horizontal, we control the vertical, we control the pixilation in this article and the layout surrounding it. You have entered the Murrayed Zone. His book is written in the style of one long drunken ramble. It s a treasured masterpiece to those of us around the office who are lucid enough to see words on a page without having them bleed together. Best friends with Hunter S. Thompson, Gonzo journalist and heavy substance daredevil extraordinaire, it seems only fitting that Bill
would string us along on a word journey where you feel as though you re just holding on by your fingernails, which you chew, so you actually have no hold whatsoever, but unfortunately you don t realize this fact until you re engrossed in the book. I can t put it down, I can t pick it up. He drops more unrecognizable pop-culture references than Dennis Miller on an HBO special. He tells tales of Golf. He recounts days of his youth as a caddy, he regales us with amusing anecdotes of golfing with the likes of Michael Jordan, Greg Norman, Dick Butkas (duck-ass
Pat, drummer, with a host of crack-whores, lots of beer that we couldn t have, and Cinderella
St ry Bill Murray
as Bill calls him), then he completely leaves the realm of golf and all golf related topics to talk about a baseball game he saw where Griffey jr. fingered a heckler, he rambles about an upcoming film directed by Tim Robbins, and he throws in story of a fishing trip with Hunter S. where they get drunk and find some maggots in an old sandwich cooler on their boat. They dump it overboard and it floats up to the boat next to theirs (they re still docked) and the guy in the boat freaks and they speed off like juvenile delinquents. When I first heard about his book I expected that it was
management about how much cash was agreed upon for the gig performed.
I asked Andrew: if you weren t so tricky, what kind of a woo would you be? one getting paid right now Fair enough. Sometimes what makes you cry?
not getting paid Even fairer enougher. Night boys! We Audi!
Thus concludes the exciting encounter of Curious Jorj and the Tricky Woo. Stay tuned for more exciting adventures. Until then, this is Curious Jorj signing off.
(all Tricky Woo photos by Andrew Nicholson)
not really about golf. I got the book for Xmas (you know, the holiday celebrating the birth of X) and the sleeve said it was about golf. Then I read it and found that though it is about golf...it is not actually about golf. My head hurts, but it feels so good. He talks about high school, movies, golf, drinking in Ireland, golf, his mom and sister at a play, golf, a rib buffet, then more about golf. He ends the book with a quote from HAMLET which is not actually a quote from HAMLET. So I will end this review with a quote from Bill Murray s book which is not actually from Bill Murray s book
The only bad thing you can say about Bill s book is that there s nothing bad you can say about Bills book. Every great work of art, literature, or music has always been viewed by most as shit, and the rest as unnecessary showing off. Neither can be said about Bill s book. Nothing can be said about Bill s book. That s a good thing, and as a result, it s a bad thing.
Gallery Review - Victor_Vs. Geoff: Battle for the Universe
by James ClarkThe title Victor Vs. Geoff: Battle for the Universe, at first glance may seem a little pretentious, but once you think about it for a second in a UCFV kind of context it works. What I would suggest as a title, should these two ever team up again, would be something along the lines of Hey look everyone we re not like almost everyone else taking fine arts; we can draw! Although probably more accurate, its less catchy so maybe they made the right choice after all. This exhibit is best viewed while listening to techno music; I on the other hand, listened to The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets. Enough dickering about titles and tunes lets get on with the show.
A portrait of Victor Cameron was the first piece that I came across. Although I have never sat and more exact, this was a two dimensional, unnaturally pink version of him-. I guess he had a
Next I came across Pop Goes Yumiko; caution, talent alert, this is what I and Dogs Playing Poker. I get it; she is like a jack in the box, only because if she was drawn in the boxes we wouldn t be
stared at Victor for long periods of time, this portrait seems to look like him. Or to be hard time holding up the mirror and the paint at the same time.
would hang in my own personal art gallery right beside my sad clown, velvet Elvis she is drawn on top of all these boxes instead of in them. This is probably able to see her and then it would just be a picture of a bunch gray boxes. This is a very cleaver artistic ploy.
Mytimelinefragments 1-5 is a good example of age. I still think that it s a blurry rip-off. Nice try but
The Shift is another example of rip-off artwork only this eighties pop video. Just because Ah-ha hasn t made the comes-to-life style won t make them millions when a you to steal their thunder, you heartless, jaded, nineties
Houston, We Have A you? Ohhhh very chic Problem, is something and socially aware.
artwork that I didn t like the first time and it hasn t gotten any better with my memory lasts slightly longer than a virgin on prom night.
time the victim wasn t a recognized photographer; it was a defenseless charts for fifteen years doesn t mean that their patented cheesy, picturerecord exec realizes just how Earth shaking that technology is. Who are youth.
I call a message piece. The message even NASA recycles, shouldn t
J 989 is an- other social conciseness piece some days I wake up in cold sweats but and bloody
Forbidden City never because of government. jump to get
By far intellecblah
Sometimes a having experiencing done combined.
After Focus, Victor Cameron had Surrounded by the Tranquil Blue uglying it up not once, but twice. At first the paint and the whole thing started to make
a bunch of punks that have nothing better to do than loiter about and cause trouble for More importantly what poor foreign news correspondent did Victor have to these pictures? Anyway, Forbidden City 1989, with its contrasting white, red boxes is cool to look at. Now where did I put my Nike shoes?
the most annoying work was Focus, It s continual stream tual conciseness poetry and cheesy old audiovisual equipblah, nature of existence. I have no friends. It was all very piece of artwork makes you feel enlightened, in this case I it. Focus has killed more ofmy brain cells than all the glue and whip-
the black ofpseudoment. Blah depressing. felt dumber for its I have ever
to come up with something very cool to make it up to my senses. At first glance 21 Fathoms Below the Surface
Nothingness looked like it was going to bury him even deeper. With a very arty title and kind of weird looking girls glance it wasn t my kind of art, with a second look however, I realized that there was all this writing in the blue, below the surface of sense and it started to look really neat-o. By the end of the visit I think it was one of my favorites.
Phase 4 Omega (Victor Cameron) is another one of those artist in the artwork, cartoon versus photograph, the same style as the shift but not as good.
Utopia (Victor Cameron), has this whole unhealthy l am happiest when l am on the computer, notion that disturb me a little. Being a lino print, it would seem to me that as a message to people who are not using a about the evils of being on a computer it seems a little ineffective. Next time, may I suggest that you turn it saver? I get it and that means that as a piece of art that is also a social commentary its effective and good art.
12 big cartoon looking pictures of people and fighter artist who has spent the majority of his life reading giving complete strangers long creepy stares. really good idea of said people s facial Field? You are my hero and it seems very shall we say, buxom which
There is also this halflooks so stupid that it was down for a while. Untitled I like to skateboard, if robots the picture. Also it s drawn well
The picture of cat woman was fucking initial viewing; I went home and Geoff draw you naked next time? Could I
Then there was a big collection of sketches, robots,
planes reflect to me a somecom i cs, watching (Not long enough of details or skin tone). that every female makes you dou-
pictures in
seems to computer into a screen therefore
what unstable Robotech and course to get a Geoffrey you draw is ble my hero.
drawn picture of a dog and a bone on a line. The thing cool. I cannot describe why, its mostly pencil red crayon but I like it, I think I need to lie but I think that it is by Geoff Field. had free will I think that they would enjoy it too. I can relate to the statement posed by artist in and colored this shows time and effort. Way to go Geoff.
awesome. I liked the interactive nature of the piece of broken balsa to see a close up of her tears. After the thought about cat woman why was she so sad? Was there something I could do to make her feel better? Could get a copy? Since I first saw her in the hallway I knew I was in love, I must have her. Time for another cold shower.
all of which touched me in some way. Then I touched myself in another way.
I can tell that Geoff spent a long time on the detailed schematic of a Multiple Ordinance La~ncher but my question is why? What this says to me (a part from the fact that a cannon that shoots projectiles that are only .4 mm round, details Geoff, details!) is, I may play a lot of Dungeons and Dragons but I can draw. It s ok Geoff, we still love you.
Who won the battle for the universe? Well I could say something cheesy like we
but I won t. I will say that if you want to know who would win the battle of the universe then drop both Victor and Geoff
kind of
a
come
withdrawal and relapse into some kind of fantasy dream trance where robots and well
around. Victor
hand would babble incoherently for a while about the meaning of life and then brain Geoff with coconuts.
discs...
Sometimes people make more money dead than alive. I believe that Still I Rise is Tupac Shakur s third posthumous album since his death in LasVegas in 1996. Tupac s father, Afeni Shakur, put together the album with the help of the Outlawz. Most of the album is riddled with silllple melodies looped by synthesizer. The music is too tame, which makes the rap mellow and almost boring. At times the songs exhibit relatively interesting bass lines, guitar, and piano; however, this is an artistically weak album. Lyrically, this is Tupac in his stereotype. As was common in the late rapper s previous stuff, the music still dwells on the hard life of living in the ghetto. The first released single is Baby Don t Cry, and this is not even remotely the best track on the album. This song is typical, mundane, and written (most likely) to be played on pop stations for the sake of increasing sales. All things taken into account, the album is disappointing. Hopefully, Tupac Shakur won t be squeezed for more coins again.
-JordanBeastie Boys The Sounds of Science
The three original punk rock/ hip-hop artists from New York, are back with a Greatest Hits/ Rarities/ B-sides album entitled The Sounds of Science. Mike D, Ad-Rock, and MCA, collectively the Beastie Boys, have progressed from early '80's frat rockers, to influential sampling and pop culture wizards, to social activists in their nearly twenty years of existence. This double album furnishes up 42 songs, that document their incredible progression. All their biggest hits are present including So Whatfcha Want, Body Movinf, Sabotage, Sure Shot and Jorjfs all time favourite, that funky monkey, Brass Monkey. Make sure that you check out the new songs Alive, Boominf Granny, and the odd cover of Elton Johnfs Benny and the Jets, with Beastie friend Biz Markie kind of filling in the lyrics. Of course with compilation albums their is always some schmuck who second guesses the song selection, and of course I'm nowhere near above this, wishing that Girls, Rhymin & Stealinf, and even the title song
Sound of Science could have been included, but this is just petty gripping in the face of an incredible array of cool tunes.
-Darrell Alary Ian Brown Golden GreatsBeck Midnite Vultures
With Mellow Gold, Odelay, and Mutations, Beck Hanson has produced three great albums. His quirky, irreverent, kaleidoscope style has made him one of the most popular and influential artists of the mid to late 1990fs, which makes his new offering, Midnite Vultures, so confusing. In some parts you can see the familiar Beck, albeit with a new, even more light hearted approach, but too often the album becomes so whimsical that you can't take it seriously. This is an odd comment, because you really aren't supposed to take Beck too gravely to begin with, but when this album melts down to it's strangest moments I wasn't sure if I should laugh or just skip to the next song, which is never a good sign. This album does have some cool moments (check out the funk bass line on Mixed Biznes_s, and the lead single Sexx Laws), but most parts left me scratching my head wondering where I left his old discs.
-Darrell AlarySorry folks, i~ ain t golden, and it ain t great. For fans of the Stone Roses, this sophomore effort from former lead singer Ian Brown is a step backward in his personal musical evolution. Though his first album, Unfinished Monkey Business, met with mixed response from critics, it must be appreciated for the experimentation and chances taken with song structures. I wish as much could be said for his new album. Unfortunately, Golden Greats falls flat and lifeless to the floor with nothing but a few amusing twitches and convulsions. Its as if all the Stone Roses and Ian Brown solo outakes, and songs that never made it the studio, were compiled on one disc then released to the public.
It isn t that the album is bad, but he could have done a whole lot better. If this were the debut from someone new to the music scene, it would be perfectly acceptable. Jan has been around for some time and we expect more from him.
Most of the tracks on this record are nothing more than a mellow groove, a couple repeating guitar loops, and monotone vocals. The one song of any interest is the last track, Babasonics. You see a glimmer of hope in this Portishead-ish tune as Ian actually sings more than three notes, but then you read in the CD-ROM file on the disc (also including a music video for Love Like A Fountain) that the music was sent to him by the band Babasonics and he simply sang along to their melodies.
I listen to the disc often, I like it, but it is really a let down from what I expected. Maybe Ian s time in prison fucked him up. A while back he held a knife to a stewardess s throat because he didn t get his mini whiskey, or some such nonsense, and a hard nosed judge decided to make an example of him for other celebrities by sending him up the river, to Strange Ways (British version of Alcatraz), for a year. That would at least explain the lame lyrics on the track Free My Way jingle-jangle/ here s the jailer legal wrangle/ holy papers/ you gotta know your worth. Jingle-jangle?! Oh Ian.
Poor, poor Ian. We II all say a prayer for you. Please Lord, give Ian back his musical balls.
-jesse macpherson
HorrorscopeS -by T.P.
Well, Y2K has come and go_neand we are all still here. Damnit. During the holidays my body and spirit were subjected to every kind of abuse (real and imagined) and this has left me totally unable to communicate with the spirits that helped me forecast your pathetic lives. Another setback, the learning centre (not to be mistaken for a library, libraries have books), has made me return my book of star, Moon, and Sun charts. Also, I have come to the conclusion that my Horrorscopes, are no longer funny (assuming of course that they at one point were funny, an issue that has always been hotly contested). A new year a new Horrorscope guy. I have covered my new dictionary in peanut butter and at my command my dog will pick a word which, as I understand it, will predict an aspect of your future.
Yummy, )UTlt1Y
Capricorn:
December 22 January 18
Key word: Gandhi
Interesting, very interesting I see you in depends consuming massive amounts of Ex-Lax. Enemas also figure big in your future. Concentrate on weight loss and destroying British rule where ever you see it. This of course will be hard for English people but no one ever said the future would be easy. Compatible with, Aries
Aquarius:
January 20 February 18
Key word: excommunicate
Apparently you have been doing some naughty things with some unnamed choir boys. I recommend watching a lot of Star Treck (the original, duh). Not for any reason but keeping the ratings high because I see it going off the air in the next year. As for your perverse sexual fantasies about small children and lambs, that something you and your priest have to work out together (Can you say tag team?). I for one will sit back and wait for the cheesy, made for CBC radio play. Maybe Gary Coleman can play the down and out choir boy.
Compatible with, Leo
Taurus:
April 20 May 20
Key word: Deathbed
Things looked bad for Aries but we seem to have sunk to a new low with you. When I say we I mean the writing staff of the Cascade for printing what Im about to say about you Whoa, that was bad, I can t believe I actually wrote that. ~ompatible with (if you can really call it compatible with your condition), Pisces
Gemini: May 21 June 20
Pisces: February 19 March 20
Key word: soup
You are going to get a cold. This could be due to overwork or a drafty room because you didn t pay the gas bill. But most likely its your frequency of wearing those skimpy little numbers that make my heart go pitty-patt that is doing it to you so try wearing some bulky sweaters so I can get some sleep at night and stop fantasizing about you. Get plenty of rest and drink lots of grain alcohol and rainwater. Compatible with, Taurus
Aries: March 21 -April 19
Key word: Nervous Uh-oh this week looks like trouble. Apparently all those all night D&D sessions are coming back to haunt you. It is time to interact with real people and considering you only have 12 points of charisma it s no wonder you are so nervous around people. Cut down on coffee, 12 sided dice and Three s Company s reruns. Remember, when you re nervous you sweat so wear a strong deodorant. Compatible with, Capricorn
Key word: loaded Time to party. You have earned it after all those tricks you had to turn to pay for your tuition. This week try to get back to a time when sex for you wasn t about money or drugs. I know it s hard but you can do it if you re drunk enough. Compatible with, Virgo
Cancer: June 21 July 22
Key word: fad
The choice is yours, do you want to follow or lead? If your best friend jumped off a cliff what kind of friend would you be if you didn t follow? Be a sheep this week but watch out for those that may try to help lift you over the fence but never allow you to get quite over it. Think about it (lame trendy pun). Compatible with, Scorpio
Leo:
July 23 August 22
Key word: aeon
Aeon you know, the amount oftime since you have thought that these Horrorscopes were funny, oh and how long it ha: been since you got laid. Think about long term this month, stock up on Styrofoam for your grandchildren, assuming of course that you can find someone drunk enbugh to breed with you. Compatible with, Aquarius
The .Wind in the Willows
-a UCFV theatre review by the Saddest SadistVirgo: August 23 September 22
Keyword: Polaris
As usual for Virgos, you couldn t decide if Y2K was the end of the world or not and now that it s all over you have decided that a nuclear holocaust is going to take place. Move on, see if you can figure out if Ricky Martin is gay or not. Compatible with, Gemini
Libra: September 23 October 22
Key word: discriminate
This one word is going to help you out big time. Although, as usual, you won t realize that you had to do that thing with the chicken, rubber boots and pancake flipper until afterwards.
You know, when you wake up in the back of an El-Camino parked along the median of the Number One. Have fun and save the chicken for when you really need it, blood sacrifice. Compatible with, Sagittarius
Scorpio: October 23 November 21
Key word: nest
This one was a toughie but I think I got it all figured out. Like ma!1y before you, you are losing your hair. It has finally become so obvious that the time has come for action. No one will call you names like Q-ball, Kojack, baldy, bald-guy, Homer, Hairless Wonder, Clear-cut Head, and all rest when you get a hair nest. Or, if you have hair, it is time for a haircut becau.se your locks are so overgrown that head lice are having trouble moving about. As always it s the lowest animals in the chain that suffer the most. Shame, Shame. Compatible with, Cancer
Sagittarius: November 22 December 21
Key word: sumo Get on the ground and roll around lots with some big guy with pins up his ass. Compatible with, Libra
What a terrible play. A terrible play that is, for a cynic. How is one supposed to roast something so good? UCFV s theatre production team, headed by director Ian Fenwick, did me a great disservice by starting their twentieth season off with a hit. I want so desperately to flash my wit and cunning by setting these pages on fire with endless rants of the hideous butchering that went on in the last halfofNovember 99. Alas, the butchering was not to be. Don t get me wrong. Im not out to make enemies (I have enough as it is). It sjust that I don t like kids plays at all. I don t even like kids. Why would I want to sit through a bunch of melodramatic clop-trop, where the coolest characters are the evil guys. That will only end in torment for me. However, I found myself not suffering. It was a new experience for me, almost an oxymoron: an enjoyable children splay.
The Wind in the Willows play is based on Kenneth Grahame s novel of the same name. If you do not like reading, you may have seen the cartoon on TY. I myself had neither read the book nor seen the show, but it didn t matter. I was right into the adventures (as was the rest of the audience) of Ratty, Mole, Toad, and Mr. Badger. We are first introduced to Mole (Chandra Goodey), an innocent, naive underdog who has taken the day off. He is soon befriended by Ratty (Leslie Galbecka), who takes Mole under his wing and away we go. Along the way, we meet Toad (Amy Warawa), an irresponsible, reckless, obsessive green-thing (an actual toad I think) and Mr. Badger (Darren Blakeborough), the wise, old badger (what a coincidence) who plays grandfather to all of the wild-wooders.
Toad is the zany one, keeping everyone busy with his wild antics. His haphazard ways and flare for danger are the bane of the other friendly critters. After crashing his new caravan, Toad discovers the motorcar and all hell breaks loose. He crashes a stolen one, sings a bunch of songs, winds up in jail, and everyone is sad. Everyone, of course, except for a pack of weasels, stoats, and ferrets who, led by Chief Weasel (Joel Murdoch), have banded together to take Toad Hall (that s where Toad lives). I was cheering for the baddies but, in a predictable manner, the good guys win with a commando-style assault, aided, of course, by a secret tunnel.
The overall result of this show is great. High energy keeps everyone entertained in what is truly quite a spectacle. It seems that every useable facet of the Chilliwack Campus Theatre was used. Characters were running in and out from every direction, swinging in on a rope, leaping into the trap doors, even repelling from the catwalk. The audience couldn t help but feel surrounded. Set designer Astrid Beugeling and lighting designer Bruce Kirkley teamed up to effectively capture the eerie mood of a forest. Two huge willow trees dominated the stage and one could really get a feel for the essence of a deep, infinite wood. Most of the acting was above par even though none of the roles were particularly challenging. Kudos to all who worked on this production.
PAGAN ST·UDENTS ASSOCIATION
The Pagan Students Association members have recovered from the holidays and we re eager to get things happening.
We II be hosting a celebration of the Pagan religious festival of Imbolc, festival of the growing light and the beginning of spring at the Boardroom A225-9, on Friday the 4th of February beginning at 8 pm.
We are inviting people from out of town the friendly folk of UBC Pagan Students, the new SFU Pagan Students group and the UC of the Okanagan PSA. And non-campus Abbotsford Pagans are welcome as well.
It will be a basic Wiccan ritual followed by eating and drinking. Children are welcome. Please bring food to share estimate twenty people will show up.
For more information on the activities of the Pagan Students Association, or Pagan religions in general, please contact swagar@home.com or the PSA through the Student Union Society.
CISSA
~ Computer Information Systems Student Association
Winter 2000 Schedule: (so far)
CISSA Meetings: Mondays 5:30 pm 7 pm Abby: RoomA315 •
EVERYONE WELCOME
We would love to see our SUS Science and Tech Reps there!
Feb 1, Tuesday ~ Pizza Day in Chilliwack
Feb 15, Tuesday ~ Pizza Day in Abbotsford
March 10, ~ First Annual Film Festival
We challenge ALL groups to submit the BEST film snippet (15 30 minutes) with the theme: STUDENT LIFE AT UCFV AS SEEN BY... Register with ClSSA prior to March I at: cissa@ucfv.bc.ca
End of April, ~ End of Semester Dinner Instructor Awards
Disability Resource Centre Support Association
Disability Resource Center Support Association will be writing it s constitution and bylaws on Jan. 26 at 2:00pm, There may be an election on the same day. All interested members and new comers please attend or contact Lee Holland at the D.R.C. 853-7441 local 4609. Please be aware that this group is open to any who has a disability or works with or is interested in this topic.
Student Union Society Welcome Back!
The UCFV Student Union Society hopes you had a fun, safe and Y2K-bug free holiday. As many of you have probably already figured out, the microwave in the Abbotsford cafeteria was removed before Christmas.The Student Union Society has been providing the UCFV Cafeterias with microwaves for student use for as long as we can remember (this will be the third in four years for Abbotsford!). We are pleased to tell you that as of today January 18, 2000 the Abby cafeteria has another microwave. This is made possible by the kind donation ofa microwave from Mark and Judy Friesen a couple of great CIS students.
The winter semester is sure to be a busy one! Wr;have a Health and Dental Information Week scheduled for January 24 to January 28 on both Abbotsford and Chilliwack campuses. Some of you might be thinking, What is this? or Didn t we already do this? The referendum held in the fall semester was declared null and void due to a procedural error. This means that we must hold the referendum again, the tentative date is set for the first two weeks of February watch for more information on this! The health and dental plan is a mandatory group benefits plan that would provide extended medical and/or dental coverage to full time students at UCFV. ln plain English, this means that IF approved by the students during the polling period, then
every FULL TIME {9 credits or more} student will receive coverage. The Health and Dental Coverage does not come free: the students who are eligible for the coverage will be charged (payable when they pay their tuition) for this coverage $47.00 per student, per semester for Extended Health and/or $54.00 per student, per semester for Dental. Full time students can opt out of both/either plan by providing proof of comparable coverage. Information sheets are now available at the Abby and Chwk SUS offices, Abby and Chwk Student Services offices and Registration offices.
The SUS wants to emphasize the importance of this referendum. Whether or not it passes depends solely on YOU, the UCFV students. The SUS is NOT advocating that you vote Yes or No in this referendum, but we ARE advocating that YOU COME OUT AND VOTE. Use your power as a member of the SUS. Come out and tell us whether or not you want this plan.
On a different note, the Student Union Society is now offering the International Student Exchange Card to UCFV students. This card offers students discounts at lots of different places around the world. Come into either of the SUS offices (Abbotsford and Chilliwack) for more information.
Riot continued from page 5.
My memory is now a scattering of vignettes in the surreal light of preternatural intensity police cornering a woman ~earing earphones and a black leather jacket against a car and clubbing her to the ground, her girlfriend screaming in rage and leaping onto the back of a cop before being pulled off, joining in a group of people pounding on cars and walking down the centre of the street, momentary blockades of intersections broken by the cops, police charges and random action in the street At the end ofmy evening my little clump of friends and I walking along on one side of the street with a hundred riot cops on the other sidewalk, hitting the subway, jumping the turnstiles and heading for home.
Others continued to block traffic and engage in minor vandalism.(a few windows broken, the local right-wing newspaper s boxes trashed, etc.) into the night.
So when I watched the Battle in Seattle news in early December I thought about my well-spent youth, my political arrests. I thought particularly about the excitement and danger of being in the middle of the chaos of a riot. I m not going to go to Seattle or its follow-up events because of my children and my responsibilities. But I m going to praise those people who went there for doing the right thing.
Group News is the section of the Cascade where all student groups can promote their activities and recruit new followers,er I mean members. Deadlihe for· s.ubmission for thegroup news 0 page is January 31,2000. Please keep your group's message to under 150 words.