The Cascade Volume 7 Issue 9 2000-02-22

UniuersiWCollegeattheFraserllallev

launch01Alumni Association: a signthat UCFVis growingUP

After being in existence for 25 years, if faculty and staff are also invited. there's one thing the University College of the Fraser Valley isn't lacking, it's alumni.

More than 13,000 people have graduated from UCFV with a certificate, diploma, or degree since 1975. Countless others have taken courses for general interest, or started their university careers at UCFV or Fraser Valley College before transferring elsewhere. All of them qualify as UCFV alumni.

What UCFV hasn't had until now is an organization to keep track of and in touch with its alumni. A group of interested alumni is out to change that. With the help of UCFV's Community Relations and Development office, they're launching the UCFV Alumni Association, and planning a giant homecoming party at the Abbotsford campus on Saturday, May 6, 2000.

The alumni association's executive committee's chair is Terry-Lynn Stone, who graduated from UCFV in 1998 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in English and earning the Governor General's silver medal. Stone was an active member of the UCFV community while a student, serving on the board of governors and several committees, and she's continued her involvement with the university college as an alumni leader.

"It's an idea whose time has come," says Stone of the alumni association. "I was at a running clinic a couple of weeks back and I was wearing a UCFV hat and someone asked me if I went there andwhen I said yes, they said they'd gone there too and there was an immediate connection. There's a sense of camaraderie out there that needs to be tapped into."

While there have been some informal alumni groups at the departmental level, this is the first time that UCFV has tried to organize its alumni in an institution-wide association. Stone thinks the fact that UCFV is now turning out significant numbers of degree graduates is part of the reason that there's now interest in forming an association.

"We've always had diploma and certificate graduates, but we also had many students who transferred elsewhere to get their degree. People who are spending the extra years here and earning their degree at UCFV are very proud of that fact and that's making a big difference in our communities."

Stone encourages anyone who has been involved as a student with Fraser Valley College or UCFV in any way to make themselves known to the alumni association, and to come out to the party on May 6. Diploma, certificate, and degree grads, transfer students, and people who only took a few courses are all eligible to attend. Former

"We'd like to see lots of people turn out. It will be a great opportunity to find out what people are up to, catch up with old friends, and network with other alumni." •

Stone is putting her English degree to good use by working as a freelance editor out of her Langley home. She's very glad that UCFV started degree programs in time for her to take advantage of them.

"Having a university college located nearby has been a huge advantage for someone like me, coming in as a mature student and living in the Valley, a considerable distance from the other universities."

Stacy Irwin, a 1997 graduate of UCFV's Bachelor of Business Administration (Co-op) degree program, is vice chair of the alumni association and chair of its special events subcommittee. That means that when she's not working as a project coordinator for Fraser Valley Credit Union, she's busy plan_ningfor the May 6 homecoming event.

Irwin is involved with the alumni association because she wants to give something back to an institution that gave so much to her, and she believes that UCFV should be "tapping into the potential and talents of its graduates."

"I attribute a lot of my career success to the education I got, and the co-op work opportunities I received, so I'm happy to be involved as an alumni, working with· the association, helping with last year's UCFV- wide strategic planning process, and even making presentations to business students."

Irwin says that the May 6 homecoming party will offer fun, food, learning, and the chance to network.

"It's the perfect opportunity to get our alumni together and for UCFV to show where it's been and where its going. There will be campus tours, departmental showcases, and a chance to meet casually with former instructors and your fellow graduates. We'll have some alumni speakers, food, a cash bar, music, and prizes. It's quite an informal event.

"It's also a great networking opportunity. We have alumni involved in all kinds of different businesses, and this is a chance for them to find out about one another."

To find out more about the May 6 homecoming party or add your name to the alumni association mailing list, call Susan McAlevy at 604-864-4697.

You can also register as a UCFV alumni by visiting the association's website at: www.ucfv.bc.ca/dev/alumni.htm.

Pointingouttheeconomicalternatives

Student Union Report

East Report:

Hope Campus:

The students are eagerly awaiting their new computer. Looks like a space has been approved on the Free Reign "side" and they have graciously given up some space to place the new computer. After discussion with Brad Whitaker, Chilliwack Campus Manager, the only holdback at this time is getting the computer there, and setting up a network or phone line in order to get access to the Internet. SUS is looking after delivery of the computer, and Brad is looking after the connection. Everything should be in place and operational by mid-March.

Special thanks to Brad Whitaker, Whyles Rowan (Hope Rep) and Neil Fay for their efforts in finding a quick solution.

Background: Space and free computer time is at a premium in Hope. After complaints that Hope campus didn't have a set schedule for free lab time for students, the SUS got involved in finding a solution. During the past summer, the SUS purchased a computer in order for students to have a designated computer with internet access AND a stable schedule in which they knew they could do some research or homework. Unfortunately, difficulties arose when there was no space for students to place a computer. All this time, the students in Hope have been waiting for the delivery of their computer.

Chilliwack Campus:

The Chilliwack vote on the referendum was declared void when the ballots cast did not equal the number of people who signed in. There were 8 extra ballots, so the entire Chilliwack vote wasn't counted. The Director of East Campus wrote an appeal to the decision, asl<ing that the votes be recounted and compared to the computer database, instead of the signin sheets. The appeal is still in progress.

Janet Gehrmann Director of East Campus Student Union Society sus_chwk@ucfv.bc.ca or gehrmannj@ucfv.bc.ca

by Floyd Howlett and Alejandro Bustos Source: Arthur (Trent University) and National Bureau Chief

OTTAWA (CUP) Paul Martin, the federal Finance minister, is not the only one drafting a budget for Canadians. Since 1995, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA), a national left-wing think tank, has been working on an alternative federal budget. The annual report, co-authored with CHO!CES, a Winnipeg-based social justice coalition, provides an economic blueprint that regularly differs from the economic path taken by Ottawa.

"We are in a post-deficit surplus era were there are three choices: pay down the debt, cut taxes or invest in social programs," said Bruce Campbell, executive-director of the CCPA.

According to federal government estimates, Ottawa will see a budget surplus of more than $60billion over the next five years. The governing Liberals have promised to spend half of this surplus on tax cuts and paying down the debt, and half on social spending. The alternative budget, in contrast, advocates that 100 per cent of the surplus be reinv~sted in social programs.

In the upcoming federal budget, which Martin will deliver on Feb. 28, the government is expected to announce a surplus of $10-billion for the upcoming fiscal year. Analysts predict the surplus will be divided into three areas: $5-billion in tax cuts, $4billion in increased social spending and $1-billion in debt reduction.

Some economists, meanwhile, have pegged the •true surplus number at more than $95-billion over five years. And if a Maclean's magazine poll published this past December is any indication, Canadians want to see this massive surplus diverted into health care, education and other social programs. According to the poll, 50 per cent of Canadians want Ottawa to reinvest in social spending, while only 12 per cent want a tax cut. Alternative Federal Budget Suggestions

TAXATION: Without increasing the overall rate of taxation, put in a fairness package reducing taxes on low incomes, compensating with , increased taxes on unearned income and higher tax rates on individuals who earn in excess of $100,000. Eliminate GST on magazines and books to support the.cultural sector.

FAMILY POVERTY: Investment in a national agenda for children and families by means of an enhanced Child Benefits with a maximum benefit of $4,200 per child, decreasing according to

income level, but prohibiting any clawback by provincial governments for those on social assistance. Set up a Child Care and Early Childhood Education Fund providing quality child care working towards a universal national system.

HOUSING: A re commitment by the Federal Government to social housing programs with the aim of constructing 20,000 new units per year in partnership with non-profit, co-op, provincial and municipal housing organizations, plus assistance for repairs of existing stock of up to 10,000 units per year. The commitment of $100-million for the immediate alleviation of emergency shelter needs.

HEALTH CARE: Restore a universal, accessible comprehensive public health care system with an additional $400-million this year and $2-billion each year for the next 5 years to expand both hospital and community based health care. Require provinces to provide quality home care as a public service within their health care plans. Develop a National Drug Plan and increase financial aid for both AIDS and Aboriginal Peoples' health support.

DISABILITIES: Provide mote public funding for social advocacy and public education on equity issues. Increase the Opportunity Fund for innovative employment projects for Canadians with disabilities from $30-million to $45-million. Set minimum national st.andardsfor access for people with disabilities. Provide a Tax Benefit rather than Tax Credit which would benefit all Canadians with qisabilities regardless of whether they had a taxable income or not.

POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION: Canada is one of only three industrialized countries without a national system of grants for post-secondary education. Move from an over dependence on student loans to a grant system based on need. Establish a Post-Secondary Education Fund of $3.1-billion to reduce tuition levels and improve quality.

JOB CREATION: Unemployment is still unacceptably high. Significant new jobs can be created, while at the same time improving the social health and the environment through public infrastructure projects such as upgrading of water and waste water systems, waste management, development of public transit, commuter rail and public building retrofit.

You can view the alternative budget at: www.policyalternatives.ca

Christianitvstarts embracingqueers

by Neil Fernyhough

Source: Arthur (Trent University)

PETERBOROUGH (CUP) At Christ Church Anglican Cathedral on Jan. 17, 1999, the priest acknowledged the 25th anniversary of a couple in the congregation. To applause, the two individuals stood up, and gave each other a kiss.

Pretty standard stuff if you didn't know that both members of the couple were men.

The timing of this otherwise innocuous event was significant. The Cathedral is the "flagship" congregation of the Anglican Church in the Lower Mainland. It is the official parish of Bishop Michael Ingham, whose jurisdiction the Diocese of New Westminster extends north to the Sunshine Coast and east to Hope.

Just a day earlier, Bishop Ingham had announced the start of a discussion between the Anglican congregations. Many Anglicans believe and hope will lead to the blessing of same-sex unions on the West Coast of Canada. Some months earlier, Anglicans from around the Lower Mainland met and narrowly approved a· motion urging Ingham to authorize such a move. If approved, this could lead to the ordination of out, non-celibate gays and lesbians as Anglican clergy. In addition, this would likely lead to similar moves being made in other Anglican dioceses in Canada, and perhaps by the national church as a whole.

The Anglican Church of Canada has already passed motions "celebrating" the ministry of gays and lesbians within the Church, as well as approving partner benefits to gay and lesbian employees. But the Anglican Church is not the first Christian body in Canada to move towards the inclusion of queer people.

This year will mark the eleventh anniversary of the approval of the ordination of non-celibate gays and lesbians including MLA Tim Stevenson by the United Church of Canada. It has also developed a blessing ceremony for same-sex unions.

Despite all this, the popular perception by gays and lesbians remains that they cannot find a home in the Christian community. Many queers have bad memories of being rejected by a conservative and judgmental church. Often their knowledge of Christianity comes from popular media focusing on those elements of the Christian community that take a violently aversive and prejudiced stance on homosexuality.

Churches and other places of worship are unique markers on the contemporary North American landscape. In a society increasingly marked by cynical rationalism, cold materialism and isolating individualism, worshipping communities stand as centres that take experience, spirituality and community seriously. They may be one of the last places where one can freely engage in a community of radically diverse people: old and young, rich and poor, gay and straight.

Bruce Bawer, author of Stealing Jesus: How Fundamentalism Betrays Christianity, wrote that there are two kinds of Christian faith. One is based on the radical love proclaimed by Jesus while the other is based on harsh, judging legalism found in more isolated sections of the Bible. Certainly, all faith traditions have their progressive and fundamentalist strains, which help keep each other accountable. But progressive Christianity has recognized and accepted the faith's embodiment in the culture. It is open to integrating what society has learned and has been a consistent prophetic voice for including the excluded. For those accustomed to the message of most queer and mainstream media that Christianity is about hate and rejection, rather than love and inclusion, it takes patience to discern the broad range of options. Indeed, there is a temptation to discard all organized religion as a barrier to faith rather than a sustainer of it.

by Christopher Bolster

It's official. The results are in and the students of UCFV 1"1avespoken resoudingly No. "No" to extended health, "No" to dental and "No" to independence for the Cascade.

It is amazing that the polls could turn so sharply in three months. In the Fall, when this referendum was first brought forward, students voted favorably on all of the presented questions. Not by large margins, but by enough to determine that if the referendum had been conducted properly, the results would have been acted on. Things have really turned around. The latest results are overwhelmingly negative. The latest results are overwhelmingly negative. 72.2% No for Extended Health. 70.6% No for Dental and 60.1 % No for Cascade autonomy. What happened? Did those who came and voted the first time feel that it was unnecessary to vote a second time? This was probably a case of too much democracy. I think that combined with general apathy, only the folks who are vehemently opposed to the idea of health and dental, and maybe even Cascade independence, came out to vote. Still, the total number of votersfrom Abbotsford and Mission was approximately six percent of the total number of students that attend UCFV. Can we even call that representaive of UCFV? The Chilliwack vote was void because of spoiled ballots (The Student Union seems to be having a really to.ughtime getting their elections and referendums right this year).

UCFV had a great opportunity to move forward, but when it came to voting to make things better, no one • showed up. No wonder this place is so fucking backwards. Well I shouldn't say no one: the. reactive rightwingers who are on their parent's health and dental plans came out and voted. They looked at the ballot and said: "I'm already covered, I'll vote no" or "The Student Union shouldn't be putting these ideas in student,s heads. They're the 'government', and governments shouldn't be doing things like this." In any event, they were only thinking of themselves, and not about the students who are not covered by a health and dental plan. It's pathetic.

To make- matters worse, a small reactionary group within the Student Union who are completely opposed to the health and dental referendum, organized a strong and effective "No" campaign and pushed through an anti-democratic motion stating that the Student Union will not be allowed to initiate another referendum on these issues for the next two years. Clearly, the reasoning is that if another referendum was to be initiated, and the "Yes" side won, and contracts were initiated and signed with insurance companies, then council would not have the power to pull out of the proceedings. And, as the No vote pid win, without the motion, there is no reason why the referendum couldn't be repeated over and over until the "Yes" side won. This is much the same experience of English Canada and Quebec.

UCFV students do not deserve anything better than what they have right now. Which, if you have been

paying attention to the situation, is nothing. Look at other schools that·are of similar size, like University College of the Cariboo and see the services that are provided for the students. They have residences, a Student Union Building with a pub, a gym with a swimming pool. We don't have these things because no one around here gives a fuck about their school. You don't get these things by passively standing on the side and wishing for them.

Last semester I ran into a favorite professor who had just returned from UCC. He was in Kamloops for the day, either presenting a paper or attending a conference. We started talking about his trip and he abruptly stopped and, looking me straight in the eyes said, "UCC makes UCFV look really bad." At first I was shocked that a faculty member would say such a thing about the school, but I really couldn't disagree with him. I knew he was right.

I imagine that my frustration isn't going to inspire anyone to get involved with trying to change the pitiful state that UCFV finds itself in. Maybe my frustration does not stem from student apathy as much as it stems from a Student Union that is completely out of touch with the people that it aims to represent. Yes represent. The elected officials who sit on the Student Council, making important decisions about policy are elected to represent your interests. Unfortunately, many of the people that involve themselves with the Student Union are doing so because they have their owri agendas regarding what they feel is important. How can they accurately represent your interests when they don't.have a clue what your concerns are? The Student Union was never meant to be an elite group that hides itself in it's tiny office. In the five years that I have attended UCFV, not once has my representative called a general meeting to find out what concerns Liberal Arts students Not once.

Actually, now that I think about it, I don't know if you can actually call Student Union elections "elections." Most, if not all, positions on the Student Union are filled through acclamation. Without the initial choice of good candidates, UCFV students get screwed. The most ironic and sad thing that I have ever witnessed was at a Student Union meeting. The council was nominating candidates for the Student Governance Award. The award is designed to recognize a student who has excelled in student leadership and governance. The irony was that the people that the Student Union was nominating for these awards were all on council. It was like they were all patting themselves on the back saying, "You're doing a great job!" I couldn't believe it, they were actually serious. Besides the minimalistic housekeeping that they do, such as producing the handbook and administering emergency student bursaries and sitting on committees, I would say that in the last five years of Student Unions, they are yet to excel at anything nearing excellence in student leadership. Maybe when the UCFV student body gets ,serious about electing representatives that really want to represent our interests, we will see this s_choolmove forward in a real sense. Until that time, we can only wait.

letterstotheEditor

Graduating in a church

University College of the Fraser Valley Office A226 33844 King Road Abbotsford, British Columbia V2S 7M8 phone (604) 854-4529 fax (604) 859-5187 cascade@ucfv.bc.ca

Christopher Bolster Editor-in-chief

Melissa Kennedy Managing Editor

vacant advertising manager

Jesse Macpherson Arts/Entertainment Editor

James Clark Staff Writer

Christopher Bolster Layout

The Cascade is the UCFV students' free press. Editorial content in 100% separate from the students' governing body, the UCFV Student Union. The Cascade is published twelve times per year, from September to April. The Cascade has a circulation of two thousand papers, distributed through out Abbotsford, Chilliwack and Mission. The Cascade is a proud member of the Canadian University Press, a national cooperative of university and college newspapers: The Cascade follows the CUP ethical policy concerning material of prejudicial or oppressive nature.

Letters to the Editor

Letter length should be kept under four hundred words. Letters that are longer than the limit will be posted in the Cascade office for public viewing during Cascade office hours. The Cascade will consider publishing anonymous letters only if circumstances indicate the possiblity for negative reprecussions for the Cascade. Honestly people, don't whine to me about not wanting your name attached to your letter because you are afraid to stand behind what you write. It is quite pathetic.

Deadlines

The deadline for all submissions is Monday at high noon. Submissions are prefered in electronic format e.g. email or on disk. When submitting on disk please save your article in text format e.g. '.txt"

Disclaimer

The opinions and values expressed in the articles of the Cascade newspaper are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the values of the University College of the Fraser Valley or the UCFV Student Union. All submissions are reviewed, however the Cascade retains the right on editing and/or publication.

Contributors

Dear Editor, ceremony is being held at a Christian church in the community. I was shocked that UCFV, the place

the has promoted cultural diversity to its student, would not consider that many of its students are not Christian and therefore may not be able to attend or feel uncomfortable attending our graduation ceremony. I cannot believe that this is happening to students like myself. I know that we have all worked very hard to achieve our goals on "Graduation Day," where we can walk across that stage to receive the acknowledgement of our academic accomplishments.

USA, I have sat on various committees that support the development of student community and worked very hard with other students on events to promote the diversity of our culture at "End Racism Day." I think that it is unfair that a student like myself will not be able to attend our graduation ceremony.

Sincerely, Mercedes Nanton

ence held at the University of Ottawa, I have represented UCFV at the Fencing World Cup in the As students of UCFV we are challenged in many areas of our lives. Some students like myself, have to juggle family life, work and studies each semester. It takes years if hard work and commitment to get to graduation day. As a multicultural community, students come from all cultural and spiritual backgrounds. On campus students have the opportunity to attend different ceremonies and celebrations that recognize the diversity of our student population and community. This makes me extremely proud to be a graduating student of UCFV, like so many other students.

However, I was told that our graduation

As a Bachelor of Social Work student, I was the president of the BSW Students Association, I have represented UCFV at a confer-

"We don't need no water let the motherfucker burn."

Darrel.I Alary, stuntfrau, Miranda Mathewman, Hayden Buck, Floyd Howlett, Alejandro Bustos, Neil Fernyhough, Tokunbo Ojo, Barrington A. Morrison, Stan Wiebe, April Moir, Erin Woodley, Shannon,

Anot·her satisfied customer ....

Note: names, spelling, and really stupid grammatical errors have not been changed to protect the guilty '

To the Cascade: I am responding to your January 24th issue of your newspaper. This letter has to do with the dumbminded knowledge of your music critic, Jordan Van Sprosen. He has no quality whatsoever to be a music critic. Hell, I don't even know this guy and I already know he's stupid! He puts down the new 2pac + Outlawz album like it is junk from the gutter! First of all Jordan, I would like to tell you that afeni Shakur was and is Tupac's mother not father as you state in your critique. Like seriously are you stupid or what? 2pac was a great artist and no this is not tupac's weak album. If tupac had been alive nobody in the hip hop industry would be on top right now such as Jay-Z Lauryn Hill, etc. What the fuck do you really know about 2pac? Did you ever look into his history before you did this ridiculous article? This album is not typical as you say in your circus article. This was tupac at his finest! All the songs on this album and previous post albums were all recorded before he died in 1996. It really hurt for you to disrespect this album and the main reason is that it looks like to me you know shit about Rap music. If don't know about something don't write about it you dummy!! Simple I mean I don't think you'd like me disrespecting any of your fav groups you probably pissed off a lot of people but I am writing because I do not want you disre-

specting Hip-Hop. Just stick to your right-wing, racist, we-want-to-save-the-earth, bullshit for this grunge paper. So Jordan and the editors your paper is attended only for narrow-minded protesting wro muther fuckers and it does not represent the East Indian, blacks or any other minority. This paper sucks and keep 2pac and Hip-hop out of this garbage-filled hypocritcal paper called the Cascade. Thank you!! P.S. You ovibiously won't print this because it would shut your fuckin paper down but let Jordan Van Sprosen read this and learn from it. Stop dissing 2pac, Outlawz, westside for life stick to your honky music.

Mercifully and cowardly, Anonymous

Hey angry guy, We at the Cascade would like to say we are so sorry your little feelings got hurt, did the nasty article make little guy cry? There, there let the bad people explain themselves. We just thought that your letter was so funny that everyone should get a good look at it. My favorite part is when you claim that if Tupac were alive rappers with actual talent wouldn't be on top if the hip hop industry. I think that you should have left your name so your friends can see what a funny guy you are. We are not trying to disrespect rap music, just bad rap music; Jordan was just calling bullshit on a bunch

of people trying to profit off of someone who has made more money in death than life. If Tupac thought that this was his best work he would have released it when he was alive, wouldn't he? More

likely than not, a bunch of people got a hold of crap that was lying around the studio floor and pieced it together to make a new album. When you said that people who don't know about something shouldn't write about it, that was good advice. Why did you keep writing instead of stopping and throwing the letter away? As to your claim that the Cascade is right wing, that's hilarious considering that the Editor-in-chief is a card-carrying member of the Communist Party of Canada. We are clearly not racist, a lot of different colored people contribute to the Cascade on a regular basis; as a rule I dislike most people regardless of race or religion. Judging by the colossal waste of newsprint around here we cannot be labeled environmentally friendly. I'm not quite sure how printing your letter is going to shut down the paper. The key to your claim, I think, is in the word obviously but I can't seem to find it in any dictionary. Using the racial slur 'honky' really upset all the Ukrainians on staff, if you could keep the racism out of your next letter it would be greatly appreciated. However, if you must use slurs, we prefer the term 'cracker' as a generic for all white folk!,. And another thing, how can you possibly claim westside for life when you are talking about a dead artist and you live in the heart of suburbia, where do you think you are Compton? Thanks for wasting my time.

-James Clark

FuzzvPerspectives ofa DrunkenElitist

In the name of .the ... grad class ... ?

by stuntfrau.

Ok. So last week I,m on a plane, and I'm flipping through one of those airline-promo magazines that are always stuffed in the pocket on the back of the seat. I should fill you in on some stuntfrau trivia: I love advertisements. Really. They fascinate me completely. I like studying the subliminal element. Just to exemplify, there is a brand of cigarettes that has a blow-job worked into the shadows in every ad I have seen. It's true, but this is a digression. Actually, this whole start is a digression, but I'm getting there. At any rate, I come across a Hotel ad, Hilton to be specific, and it's a shot of a business man lying on a bed, clutching his overnight valise in one hand and his trench coat in the other. His tie is all sort_of loosened and strewn over his untucked shirt. He is immaculately groomed, so it seems unlikely that he is.just a sloppy dresser. And, his coat is carefully arranged to make sure that his wedding band is evident. The caption: It happens at the Hilton. Yes, I suppose they mean something by that don't they. uh-huh. So, given the angle of the shot (it's taken from the foot of the bed) and the dopey smile on the guys face, I assume that this is a very

subtle (note sarcasm) draw on the cheap tawdry dark side of otherwise perfectly innocent business trips. And now I get to my point, which is quite simply that despite the sliminess behind the not-so-subtle message that this hotel could accommodate extramarital mischief, it is an appropriate venue. Grown-ups, beds, mini-bars, ash-trays, whatever. It's all there. You think adultery, you think hotel: you might even think Hilton after seeing this ad. Nice and clear. So where does that leave UCFV's graduates? In church. (Did you see how that happened? The connection? I'm striving for a sort of, notorious-for-neo-postmodernist- juxtapositions reputation. Ok, not really but I needed to draw attention to the transitional jump I just made.) That's right folks, church.

Now, this little rant was inspired by a letter that a concerned student sent in recently. (further proof that people actually read the paper) Her concerns are valid, and likely troubling and problematic for other students too. Did you know that graduation happened in a church? I didn't. Not until last year when I realized I had to graduate in April. (don't ask why I'm still here: it's far too convoluted) I found out in September that this was to be the

plan, and, believing myself to be a -good representative of student concern, proceeded to do everything I could think of to find a different venue for the class of 99 to graduate in. I talked to all sorts of people, students and administrators alike, and found that few students actually knew that the ceremony would be in a church. Out of the dozens and dozens of people that heard this, only one student thought this was an ok idea. Though I should note, tt,is was not an opinion, it was simply apathy. But anyway, what I found at the administrative level, was that even those above the student body thought this was inappropriate. Now I'm sure that some people might read this and think this is some sort of slam against churches and/or religion. It's not. It is simply a comment on what is appropriate. The letter to the editor deals with an element beyond the realm of my own personal concerns last year, as this letter directly addresses concerns involving matters of other religions. (now you have to go back and read the letter) My concerns were more about legitimacy. I feel quite strongly that as students at a University College, it is often hard enough to be taken seriously academically. I don't think this needs much

explanation, if you haven't had to explain that a University College Education is just as valid and valuable as a University Education to anyone, well don't worry you will at some point. I was told that the churches (we alternate year to year between Chilliwack and Abbotsford, did I mention that?) was the only place large enough to accommodate the graduating class. It's worth noting that despite your program, we all graduate together. BAs, Associate's Degrees, nurses, secretaries I thought that maybe some sort of division would create two smaller classes. Thus a smaller venue might be more accommodating. Nope. This just isn't the way it's done. Convocation is convocation, whether you do a four-year degree or a twomonth program. A bit of food for thought on the class size, many of the students that I spoke to said that they wouldn't attend their convocation if it were in a church. In my investigation at the administrative level, I was told that little effort was made towards an alternative, because we have such a low percentage of students who want a ceremony. hmm. Seems to me that if there were an alternative, in an appropriate place, there would be a much larger class. I did graduate in Fuzzy continued on page 7.

isnotmvonlvmonthothistorv

by Tokunbo Ojo Source: The McGill Daily

MONTREAL (CUP) I spent years struggling to define the politics behind the designation of February as Black History month in North America. I have been moved to tears in my attempts to make sense of why February is the only month in which people of my colour remember that they have history that needs to be celebrated.

Is February different from any other month in the history of black people? Why should it be the only month for me to celebrate my history? Does my history start and end in February alone?

Strategically, we reinforce our sense of exclusion from the global culture with our acceptance of February as the only month for celebrating the achievements of the great black personalities in arts, medicine, literature, religion, technology and other areas.

As a 24-year-old Montreal born man who has spent over half my life living in Nigeria, I know the cultural insensibilities of many black people in North America have made them internalize and institutionalize their differences.

They have been exposed to the misrepresentation of black cultures by the media and educational system. Whiteness, the educational system taught them, means economic, intellectual, and political superiority, while blackness symbolizes low social status and arduous labour.

As Richard Herrnstein and Charles Murray argued in The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American life, a devilish book written for idiots, black people and everyone on Earth are genetically inferior to whites.

But does a one month focus on black people's achievements change this stereotype?

No, I say.

In fact, being visible only in February has made the white so-called historians and experts on African affairs, who have never set foot on African soil, label us as a people without culture and history.

"Perhaps in the future there will be some African history to teach. But at present there is none," said Oxford university historian Hugh Trevor-Roper. "There is only the history of Europeans in Africa. The rest is darkness and darkness is not the subject of history."

This kind of racist comment could be made against us because we are focusing all our energies on celebration of individual achievement rather than our greatness as one viable community.

It is not surprising that at the dawn of the 21st century, Alice Walker's Possessing the Secret of Joy and The Colour Purple and Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, which portray blacks as uncivilized beasts and savages, are still the prominent books in many literature courses in many high schools, colleges, and universities in North America.

"The real question is the dehumanization of Africa and Africans which this age-long attitude has fostered, and continues to foster in the world," said Chinua Achebe, a Nigeria born novelist. "And the question is whether a novel [Heart of Darkness] which celebrates this dehumanization, which depersonalizes a portion of the human race, can be called a great work of art.

My answer is no, it cannot. I believe it will take more than just a yearly Black

History Month to wipe out the racist assumptions about black people. A month of pomp and pageant of individual achievement is not what we need as a community in the midst of racial tensions. Black history and achievements need to be celebrated every second whether they like it or not.

Therefore, we need to reawaken our consciousness and re-construct our cultural identity and image in the face of alienation. We've had enough of these hyphenated identities: African-American, AfricanCanadian and African-so-so.

Is it a crime for a black kid born in Montreal or New York to be just Canadian or American?

Truly, our root is in Africa, and I am not asking for the rejection of our motherland. But, nonetheless, if a white kid with roots in Europe could be just a Canadian or an American, what about the black kid? What is sauce for the goose is also sauce for the gander.

The labeling of black children with their root or parents' place of birth is another way of telling them, "They're immigrants just like many of their parents and they don't belong here."

I need no more politicized identities such as "niggers," "negros" or "African-so-so" to be visible in a society that is ridden with injustice and inequality. And that visibility of my blackness does not come with a month of remembrance of black heroes and heroines. It comes with a united and strong community that serves as a network of security and love for the unborn generation in the 21st century.

(Tokunbo Ojo is a Montreal based freelance journalist and a student of Journalism and English at Concordia University in Montreal)

Lakeside Residential Girls Camp in Maine Visas Arranged

April, in the Chilliwack Alliance church. I had suggested an on-campus outdoor graduation. Nope. Too expensive to rent a tent, too risky to rely on the weather. It ended up being a beautiful sunny day, which really pissed me off. And, the church was very churchy despite all of the assurances to the contrary that I had been given. There were church books in the pews and crosses on the walls. Though I didn't have the problem of having family members not feeling comfortable coming to see me receive my diploma, this was only because my family didn't come. Hell, I almost didn't come. The meaning of graduation seemed too significantly reduced by the venue. Form and content. (did anyone read that last year?) In my own final analysis, it seemed absurd to unite state and church in this manner, haven't we been fighting to divide the two for centuries? I suppose there is not much point in going through the finite details, but the final administrative verdict was that the class of 99 would be the last UCFV class to hold convocation in a church. You might remember how close we came to getting a gym? Yes. Thank you again Mr Clark.

Counselors:Combinedchildcare/teaching.Mustbe ableto teachor leadoneor moreof thefollowing activities:gymnastics,tennis,swim,sail,canoe,waterski,arts(includingstainedglass,sewing,jewelry, wood,photo),dance,music,theatre,archery,wildernesstrips,fieldsports,equestrian. ServiceWorkers:Maintenance,laundry,office,kitchen. Non-smokers.June18to August24.Attractivesalary(US)plustravelallowance.Sendresume(C.V.) includingphonenumberto: Kippewa, Box 340, Westwood, Massachusetts, 02090-0340, U.S.A.

781-255-7167

kippewa@tiac.net

tel: 781-762-8291

Fuzzy continued from page 6.

Summer Camp Jobs in the U.S.A.

BringingBlackHistorv A lookat the founderof Black HistorvMonth

by Barrington A. Morrison

TORONTO (CUP) Carter Goodwin Woodson was born on December 19, 1875, in the rural town of New Canton, Virginia. One of nine children, he grew up on his family farm.

His mother, a former slave who secretly learned to read and write as a child, and two of his uncles, who received training at Freedman's Bureau Schools, tutored him and cultivated his interest in learning. In 1892, Woodson moved to Huntington, West Virginia, where he worked in the coal mines.

During the 19th century, the southern United States was rife with racism. Many whites used lynching as a means of social control to ensure the black population didn't carry any ideas of freedom too far.

Some black men were lynched for trying to learn how to read and write. It was a common practice after the male victims were lynched to ceremoniously remove their vital organs and put them on public display. It was in this tragic environment that Carter G. Woodson grew up.

When he was 20, Woodson enrolled at Frederick Douglas High School, the only all-black school in the area. He completed the four-year curriculum in two years even though he was working to pay his tuition.

Following his graduation, he obtained a teaching position in Winona, West Virginia. In 1901, Woodson returned to his former high school to teach and later serve as principal. Meanwhile, he

Nelson Rolihlalha Mandela

intermittently attended Berea College in Kentucky, an integrated school established by abolitionists, where he graduated in·1903.

Woodson was then hired by the U.S. War Department to teach English to Spanish-speaking students in the Philippines. While abroad, he studied Spanish and other romantic languages through University of Chicago correspondence courses.

Returning to the U.S. after travelling in Europe, he enrolled at the University of Chicago in 1907, where he received both Bachelor's and Master's degrees in European history in 1908.

He then entered the doctoral program in history at Harvard University, and the next year initiated a 10year teaching career at Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C. He received the Ph.D in 1912, making him the second African American to earn a Harvard doctorate degree. He subsequently studied at the prestigious Sorbonne in Paris.

In 1915, Woodson established the Association for the study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH), later renamed the Association for the Study of AfroAmerican Life and History. The organization's aim was to encourage research and writing about the black experience, to publish this writing and to raise funds to support researchers and writers.

As extensions to ASNLH, Woodson founded the Journal of Negro History in 1916, a scholarly journal which was used by students throughout the world. The Associated Publishers was founded in 1921, and the Negro History Bulletin in 1937. The Negro History Bulletin provided elementary and

secondary teachers lessons in African American History.

One of Woodson's enduring achievements is his initiation of Black History Month. In 1926, he launched Negro History Week, a commembration of black achievement held the second week in February, which marked the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.

To encourage African-Americans to celebrate Negro History Week, Woodson distributed kits containing pictures of and stories about notable African Americans. Negro History Week was changed to Black History Month in the 1960s.

A prolific writer, Woodson .authored and coauthored 19 books on various aspects of AfricanAmerican History. He was one of the first scholars to consider slavery from the slave's perspective, to compare slavery in the United States to slavery in Latin America and to note the African cultural influences in the New World slave culture.

Woodson's perspective on the education of black people found its expression in his literary magnum opus, The Mis-Education of the Negro (1933). In this sobering book, Woodson described the terrible effects of Eurocentric racist education on the blacks.

"When you control a man's thinking you do not have to worry about his actions," he wrote. "You do not have to tell him to stand here or go yonder. He will find his proper place and will stay in it. You do not need to send him to the back door, he will cut one for his special benefit. His education makes it necessary."

Wole Soyinka

One of the most popular political prisoners of the 20th century, Nelson Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace prize in 1993. He was imprisoned for over 28 years for standing up to apartheid.

Mandela, along with other members of the African National Congress, fought South Africa's systemic racist government by discouraging foreign investment in the country and by creating social instability. Shortly after, Mandela was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment on drummed up charges of sabotage.

"I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination," he said before his sentence. "I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal, which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die."

It was the dream of liberty that carried him on in prison. In the 1980s, he rejected Prime Minister PW Botha's offer of freedom if he renounced violence, though shortly after his release in February 1990, Mandela and his delegation agreed to the suspension of armed struggle.

His hard work was rewarded when he became the first democratically elected president of South Africa in May 1994. He retired from public life in 1999.

The first African Nobel Laureate in Literature. He has also been a central figure in the politics of his home country, Nigeria. In 1967, the Eastern region of Nigeria unilaterally declared itself a country and formed the now defunct Republic of Biafra.

During this trying period of Nigeria's history, Soyinka visted the leader of Biafra, Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu, to negotiate and avoid war.

Unsuccessful, he returned to Nigeria and was subsequently arrested and jailed for being a Biafran spy. While in jail, he wrote a memoir called, "The Man Died" which was widely given praise and acclaim worldwide.

In 1970, the war ended leaving 3 million Biafrans dead.

The annulment of the 1993 democratic elections transformed Soyinka into a full-time pro-democracy activist. Soyinka was wanted by the military junta in Nigeria, forcing him to flee into self-exile. But being abroad did not silence his voice. He canvassed world leaders to pressure the Nigerian government to accept democracy.

Soyinka has always defined himself as an Africanist. He has extensively studied the metaphysical systems and the philosophical ideas of African society. His literary works and thoughts are based on his understanding of his Yoruba culture.

Carter Goodwin Woodson

MonthintoFocus

by Darrell Alary

As a tribute to Black History Month I wanted to right a few biographies of great people who have contributed to Black history. With such a wide range of amazing people who advanced human rights by the sheer excellence in their fields, it was hard to choose which biographies to write. Many names immediately came to mind: Muhhamad Ali, George Washington Carver, Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, Nelson Mandela, Miles Davis, W.E.B. DuBois, Elijah Muhammad, and Soujourner Truth. Even the Buffalo Soldiers would have been interesting to profile. I would encourage anybody to research any of the people I didn't profile and reflect on their amazing lives.

Frederick Douglass (1817 1895)

Born Frederick Augustus Washington Baily, in Tuckahoe Maryland, in his lifetime, Douglass became one of the most prominent African-Americans of the Nineteenth Century. Raised by his grandmother, he was sent to Baltimore to work as a house servant, at the age of 8, for Hugh Auld. Mr. Auld's wife taught Frederick to read and write, even though it was against the law to teach slaves. After the death of Mr. Auld, Frederick was sold to a plantation, and after 5 years he escaped in 1838. He changed his name to Frederick Douglass to elude slave hunters. He first spoke at an anti-slavery convention in Nantucket, Mass, in 1941, and quickly grew a reputation for impressive speeches. He later went on a speaking tour of Great Britain to raise money to start his own newspaper "The North Star", in 1847. During the American Civil War he recruited heavily in the Black Communities of the northern states. After the war he started working for the U.S. government, becoming the Ambassador to Haiti in 1889, the highest rank an African-American had ever held in the U.S., at that time.

"The arm of the Federal Government is long, but it is far too short to protect the rights of individuals" Frederick Douglass in The Reconstruction, Dec. 1866.

Malcolm X

Malcolm X was one of the most influential civil right activists in America in the 1960s and is considered to be the architect of Black Nationalism. He was instrumental in the growth of the Nation of Islam, the secondmost popular religion of Blacks in the United States.

Malcolm X's most famous quote "By any means necessary" has been interpreted in several ways to justify various forms of protest. Many black youths at some point in their lives have directly identified with Malcolm X's message and tried to enact his philosophy of Black Power. Violence as a means of ending violence is one way of understanding the complex and constantly changing beliefs of Malcolm X.

Bob Marley

Bob Marley was a man who preached unity and peace in his songs. He was often accused of singing love songs and glorifications of "ganja," also known as marijuana. He told his listeners that all his words in his songs, with often addressed issues of unity and freedom, had a meaning.

Marley popularized reggae and put it on the world map of music. His album Exodus was declared the album of the century by the December, 1999, issue of Time magazine. His greatest achievement was when he headlined the Zimbabwean, former Rhodesia, independence celebration in 1980.

Marley was a Rastafarian and he obeyed this call to the letter. When he injured his toe playing soccer, and it turned out to be cancerous, he refused to amputate the toe because it went against his beliefs. The cancer spread and resulted in his death at the young age of 36

Wole Soyinka

Malcolm X

Martin Luther King Jr.

Bob Marley

Archbishop Desmond Tutu (1931 )

Desmond Mpilo Tutu grew up in the segrecated town of Klersdorp in the Transvaal region of South Africa. He got his Bachelor's Degree in 1954 from the University of South Africa in Pretoria, became an ordained priest in 1961, then got his Master's in Theology, from Kings College in London, in 1966. He was the Bishop of Lesotho for a few years before he took the position that would garner him world attention: General Secretary of the South Africa Council of Churches (S.A.C.C.). It was at this position that he fought for justice and reconciliation of the problems facing apartheid South Africa. He built the S.A.C.C. into a prominent institution, both spiritually and politically. Being the leader for justice and racial peace in South Africa, got him barred from leaving South Africa from 1979 to 1982. In 1985 he became President of the All Africa Conference of Churches and in 1995 Nelson Mandela appointed him the head of the "Truth and Reconciliation Commission" of South Africa, a position he still holds. He received the Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award in 1984, the Nobel Peace Prize in the same year, the Presidents Medal in 1990, and many, many other

Jesse Owens (1913 1980)

Hailing from Danville, Alabama, Jesse was born on of eight children. Shortly after he was born his family moved to Cleveland, Ohio, which was where Jesse would eventually be discovered as one of the greatest track and field athletes of all time. While competing at a Big 10 Championship in Ann Arbour, Michigan, with Ohio State University, on May 25, 1935, he broke three World Records and tied a fourth in seventy minutes. This was obviously enough to get him onto the American team for the Olympic• Games of 1936, being held in Berlin. He won 4 gold medals as Adolf Hitler looked on. His biggest disappointment was not being invited to the White House after this amazing performance. He accomplished all of this with chronic bronchial congestion and several bouts of pneumonia. After the 1936 games he worked for the benefit of all people.

Ella was born on April 25, 1917, in Virginia, but her family did not stay there long after she was born, moving to New York in the early '20's. She started her musical career off by entering a contest (which she won) at the little known Apollo Theatre, in Harlem, in 1934. Her nickname was "the First Lady of Jazz", and she has often been commended for her perfect, flawless voice. During her long, illustrious career she worked with Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Oscar Peterson and many others. She was the first African-American to win a Grammy Music Award.

Struggling against poor health through much of the 1980's, and losing her legs to diabetes in 1993, she passed in 1996. If you want to really understand her genius find a copy of her rendition of the classic "Hey Jude".

HorseRacingWithSoul

by James Clark

Someone should write the history of the world based on stupid household objects. The history of black exploitation in the States can be told through the evolution of snazzy lawn decorations, specifically the proud little lawn jockey.

It all started back in the winter of 1776, Washington was getting his butt wooped by the British. His house got burned down. He was forced to stand really still while a bunch of poor bastards broke their back rowing across the Delaware. He would latter account for his inaction by claiming that he was helping to steady the boat. The truth came out a short while later when a painting depicting the event was released to the public. The scandal worsened when it was reveled that the painter had gotten frost bite in his fingers during the production of the piece. Washington needed something to divert public attention away from him. How about discussing his horse? But wait, where was his horse? Well, he was forced to leave it behind. However, in his haste he didn't tell his twelve year old slave boy Jocko that his horse's services would not be required that evening as he would be fleeing from the British. As a consequence poor

Jocko froze to death holding a bunch of hoses that got very cold but seemed to be ok after a rub down and some hot tea. Washington was so moved when he heard the news that his horse was ok and his horse handler was dead that he almost freed the slaves. Upon reflecting Washington realized that freeing the slaves would mean he would have to do some heavy lifting and with his bad back that would be very uncomfortable. Instead he decided to commission a four foot cast iron statue of Jocko to place on his front lawn. That way he could tie his horse to something so it wouldn't eat all his prize winning tulips and he would still have plenty of people around to lift things. It was just like old times again. Jocko was there watching over his horse and garden, the flowers were growing nicely and the British decided that America was a lousy place to live arid went back to merry old England. Other rich people with more horses than slaves, and darn fine flowerbeds, saw the effectiveness of little Jocko and suddenly little Jocko replicas started to pop up all over the place. The press dubbed it Jocko fever and several fist fights broke out during the Christmas hopping rush of 1777 when stocks of little Jockos ran low at most stores. A law was passed limiting one lawn jockey per household; this led to Jocko hoarding the following year.

The popularity of the jockey as a hitching post was soon eclipsed. It became a Block Parent sign for slaves on the run. About this time the Underground Railway was born. The big moving party known as the Underground Railroad had some early problems that were soon overcome. Namely, it was neither underground nor did it use locomotives. In spite of this, people seemed very eager to take the railroad on account of the drink specials and the whole freedom from oppression thing. As with the modern greyhound busses, the Underground Railroad made frequent stops in very obscure parts of town. In order to find these stops along the road, slaves on the run would look for houses proudly displaying lawn jockeys holding lit lanterns. The lawn jockey became a sign that said, "Abolitionists live here, its ok we'll feed you and not beat you senseless." After a while the government caught on. Tactics had to be changed, hence the plastic pink flamingo was born. Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction.

Special thanks to: Charles L. Blockson from Pennsylvania's Black History Portfolio Associates and black historian Earl Koger from Mississippi State University for all their help.

Ella Fitzgerald (1917 - 1996)

Jocko

In January, the Rheostatics rolled through Vancouver, playing two shows, one at Chapters and another at the Vogue Theatre. I tried to get an interview with the band (and some free tickets), but things didn't work out. So Tim Vesely, their lead guitarist, said he would give me a quick phone interview, but we quickly figured out that our schedules don't mix together so well. So I sent Tim some questions and he emailed me back the following:

On you recent west coast tour, you performed at Chapters bookstore. Do you like concerts like this? Have you done anything like it before?

We used to hate doing in-stores. No one would show up. All we were doing was inconveniencing the shoppers. People showed up this time around and lots brought their kids. It was a good challenge and enjoyable. Plus we got to meet folks and sign their copies of Harmelodia. After working on the project for so long it was great seeing the finished product actually in the hands of people. Yes, a very rewarding thing to do.

The idea to try doing an album of music for kids came from Dave. Following a Canadian tour opening for the Hip and trying to figure out what our next project should be we figured, let's move to the opposite end of the spectrum, let's get as far away from rock as we can. Dave suggested children's music. After thinking about it for a while, it became an inspiring idea. Thinking small. However,it somehow became our biggest project so far.

How do you think that any_side projects (Dave Bidini the author, Martin Tielli the artist, Don Kerr the producer, etc) affect the band?

Side projects are vital to the life of the Rheostatics. First of all, we don't do anything outside of Canada.and it's not a big enough place to support a Qand like· ours year-round. You have to find other things to do. Because we're not together full-time, we find it inspiring and fun when we do get together. Working both individually and together you get to understand the limitations and the benefits of each context and we feel pretty fortunate to be able to experience both.

Blue Hysteria is one of the best albums to come out of the mid-90's, but few people know about it. Are you disappointed in being a critics (and artists) favourite and it not translating into record sales?

I think artistic fulfilment is a relative thing. I think anybody who has ever created anything and and then felt positiye feedback from someone else knows what it is. It's not a quantity thing. It doesn't get twice as good the second time. Does that make sense? No we're not disappointed in record sales.

Can you explain how your band label 'Raise a Little Elf' works, and how it came about?

Since Don Kerr joined the band in 96, we have made albums on our own in his owr:i studio (the Gas Station). Once the recording is done we hook up with labels who manufacture and distribute. Usually it's DROG (our friend Dave from Guelph). For the release of Harmelodia, we hooked up with Perimeter who have been helping with promotion as well. We acknowledge our end of the process(the recording and the ownership of the recording) by giving it the name Raise a Little Elf.

Working on the foundations that Korn and Limp Bizkit set out, Gracie effectively develops its own sound. This 10-track CD brings a varied mixture of the members' four years together and appeals to a wide variety of people.

first radio-released track, I.D, ushers in the album with a heavy sound, and picks it up a notch by track four. Orator brings a much faster pace; not saying that I.D was slow, but the intensity is raised a level. Within the song there are some good changes of BPM that keep the song interesting. By track 6, Cud, you realise how diverse this band is at pre-

senting different sounds. What becomes quite apparent are the changes this band has experienced over four years, all of which are quite welcomed here. 4 turntables out of 5.

Porn Star, Young Gun collaboration (PSYG)

Interview

Meet Gracie: A11Abbotsford/Mission band which has created its own sound while maintaining independence from mainstream labels and affairs. Gracie formed five years ago, from a group of high school friends. It began with drummer Ryan Beszu, Bass player Jason Nickel and Guitarist Matt Dyck. It took almost a year and a half to find a· vocalist, because most were too involved in drugs. Ryan relates how one candidate was caught snorting coke in a club bathroom. After getting set up with Aaron Janzen, Gracie

began writing songs and playing local clubs such as Tommy's, and Area 51.

With the proceeds from the shows they began to put their money away for a future CD. After shopping around for the right studio, this totally self-sufficient band went into Turtle Recording Studios to begin recording Flow. We got together with Drummer/Manager Ryan Beszu to have a brief interview about the band's thoughts on the local music scene, and industry.

PSYG: Who's the lucky girl you're named after, or is there something we should know about your supposedly male bandmates?

Ryan: No, there's nothing behind the name at all. We thought about the name Army but in the end, desperation led to Gracie. •

PSYG: Thank god, Army's a dumb

name. Are you happy with the CD now that it's finished and out on the shelves?

Ryan: Yes I am, all things considered: price, time and other constraints. All the songs span 4 years. It's a little disjointed over time. We tried to exploit every possible avenue without trying to jump on any trends.

PSYG: What can we expect on Gracie's sophomore attempt?

Ryan: Experiment with different drum sounds, make heavy sounds heavier, and just a fuller sound. I am into hiphop and drum and bass and would like to see that influence more in our music.

PSYG: What do you think of the new trend of hip-hop-influenced lyrics, such as written by Fred Durst?

Gracie

Can you explain the idea behing you new album

b,.y_D_a_r_r_e_ll_A_la_ry The Story of Harmelodia?

Gracie continued from page 11.

Ryan: I think it's rad because in the heavy music, there is a spirit; the hiphop based beats and lyrics are more accessible. We are fans of the genre and the groove, but Durst lyrically shit. The spirit of hip-hop rock is great, but like any trend, there is a danger of getting fake and obscure.

PSYG: Who would you say are some of your greater influences?

Ryan: Faith No More, Massive Attack, Tool, and Chuck D who is so lyrically intelligent. The list goes on.

PSYG: When you played at Tommy's, did any of you visit the Caddyshack?

Ryan: No, man. I think one of us did, actually; it wasn't Aaron or I, so it could have been but I'm not sure.

PSYG: Have you ever been in a strip bar?

Ryan: I haven't, but some of the mem-

bers have, and I don'.twant to.

PSYG: What! No table dances or anything? That's a shame. What do you think of the local music scene and the bands coming out of the Fraser Valley and Van City?

Ryan: I think that in the last nine years, there has been a couple strong bands survive, but there aren't near as many bands now as there were before. It's tougher to get going now than it was five years ago because of all the shitty bands that have formed and died. As a result, the clubs have stopped booking.

PSYG: How have you been received in the clubs and by the clubs?

Ryan: Awesome. The SNFU show at Tommy's was great. It's great when audience members come up to congratulate us. It drives us to further the show.

PSYG: I noticed you've mellowed from two years ago when you played Tommy's any particular reason why?

Ryan: The live show's picked up, but the album was consciously made and produced to sound different than live. It's not so diverted • but it provides almost two different personalities. When you're in the studio, you have access to different instruments, which leads to different sounds.

• PSYG: Do you think the excess of religion in the valley influences the music scene in the Bible belt?

Ryan: I've never personally experienced or seen it. Area 51 (Chilliwack) is pretty much our home base because they're less conservative than Abbotsford and more likely to be individual. I think religious people would agree with us. The response is great, but I still think they are afraid to let themselves go. Our music, live, puts people to the test but you can tell

they're into it.

PSYG: Any last words?

Ryan: Read your Chomsky, list~n to Public Enemy, and kiss your mom everyday (why not!)

PSYG: That's creepy, I'm leaving.

Ryan: Okay, hug your mom everyday.

Upcoming shows: Feb 24: City Limits March 9: China Beach Website: www.GRACIEBAND.com

by Darrell Alary

1.

Dakona started in 1997 gone through 7 members now at 5 members just added a keyboard player to the band sold 2500 albums to date now in the studio recording their next album due in April tentatively called "Ordinary Heroes"

Thickets formed in 1992 with the feeling that anybody could and should be in a band, regardless of ability to play music first show was at Greg's Place (Area 51 for those with a short memory) gone through a number of drummers and bassists have a new album called "Spaceship Zero" coming out in about 5 weeks on the Divine Industries record label playing a concert at the Jabba Joint in Surrey on Feb 19

Freak started in 1997 gone through a couple of members started as a four piece band, but

have

a five

kind of jobs do you have on the side?

playing concerts every night, which.turned

couple of shows were hard to

in the band

construction worker and a ski instructor

T Toran works at McMillan library and as a commercial artist, specializing in fantasy art Bob (bass) is a videographer at Creative Jordan (drums) is a plumbers apprentice Merrick is a gardener

F Jonathon is in the process of buying Imagine Records (on South Fra·serWay) the rest of the band is either a computer student or somebody trying to avoid work

3. How has the scene in the Valley been the last couple of years?

D

right most clubs are switching to dance music Animals has been better lately more exciting since we opened for Platinum Blonde

a bit too

out

by Miranda Matthewman

On the outside it is still City Limits, a bar I have been coming to for longer than I would care to reveal. As I step inside I see that the atmosphere has transformed. A Tuesday night at City Limits, from what I can remember of them, does not usually have so many people. The bar was packed, the dance floor full, and everywhere I looked I saw neon. The music had changed too. A live Deejay replaced ACDC, and the stuff he was pumping out seemed to make everyone dance. Beer had lost out to bottled water, and smiling faces everywhere told me that water was not the only thing being ingested. I turned my attention to the dance floor and noticed one young lady who, oblivious to the rest of the world, was lost in her own rhythmic dancing. Her movements matched the sounds that seemed to be coming from

everywhere, and she continued without so much as a short rest. This was one of my first experiences with Rave night, and I have gone quite a few times since. On my last visit I spoke to Jared, the City Limits Deejay on the weekends, and the guy who organized Rave night.

Jared: I asked him when this had all started, and he replied that it "had been going on for about four months." He calculated a crowd of about 250300 people most nights. He told me that he organized Rave night because he knew there was "definitely a demand for it, especially since 80% of the music that people requested from him on the weekends was house music". I was curious as to how long Jared felt Rave night would survive, and he responded, "it will go until it grows bigger, and keep going". He also felt that most of the other clubs in

by James Clark

Tbis latest exhibit in the gallery is showing itself to be one of the most interesting and puzzling I have seen in the last few months. I spent a long time surrounded by big gobs of paint and plaster, trying to suck in the atmosphere and fumes. By the end of it, over-stimulated, dizzy and hallucinating, I stumbled out of the gallery and asked myself, "Were all those paintings supposed to represent humans, let alone the same model?" Anyhow I got in there and reviewed from left to right.

When looking at the first painting, I couldn't help but reminisce about all those days right before an essay or project was due: Instead of finishing it, I would spend time doing stupid things like watching TV or smelling women's bicycle seats. That's why I know how this artist must feel; his work, half done, sitting in the basement while he watched re-runs of Battlestar Galactica. In hindsight, was it really that important finding out how many Silons Starbuck killed?

This painting is incredible. Hot chick, nice soft orangey tones, attention to detail all laid out on sturdy plywood. I feel sorry for the artists who had to hang their pictures next to this one.

Someone took a long time to paint this, meaning some model had to hold still for a long time as well. It's a neat-o concept, painting on Saran-Wrap, and probably not an easy one. This piece shows a lot of hard work and talent. It is too bad that the final product is so ugly. Maybe it's supposed to be that way; I can never tell with these artist types.

Paper mache, tinfoil, bits of wire, and streaks of paint are ugly. I will never figure out why so many artists at UCFV think that this art is clever or original. It's like they see some milk cartons stapled to a toilet paper roll and covered in duct tape

the Fraser Valley did not cater to anyone under the age of twenty-four, a feat that could be taken care of on Rave night. Finally I drilled Jared on how he felt about the Abbotsford scene and if it had changed in the past few years. He answered that it "had definitely gotten better in at least the past two years." City Limits brings in deejays from all over the place. DJ KhanVancouver, DJ E- Seattle, and DJ Scotty Ohsorry can't remember (unlike the other water drinking dance machines, I still go for the pint'o piss draft beer). All of these deejays and the ones I haven't named have been wicked. Although I do not remember Scotty Oh's place of origin, so far he has been my favorite. Rave night is a good time, and with its continuation City Limits may no longer be referred to as Skiddy Limits, Shitty Limits, or

It's Tuesday night and Nickelback is playing at Animals, and it's Rave night at City. Strangely enough the Rave is dead when I arrive and by twelve it is not much better. Could it be that all would be ravers are rockers in disguise. I know that I even considered attending the Nickelback concert but thought better of it knowing the tickets would be twelve bucks, and well I just do not like the band all that much. I doubt that all the ravers were at Animals, I just think that some bar nights are slow and in the case of the rave this is usually never the case. I have heard people whisper that what· goes on at City Limits isn't even a real rave. Well I figure it's close enough, and I'm too lazy or wrapped up in work to go to a "real rave". It is about time a bar strayed from the Top Forty I Rock'n'roll criteria and gave people an justoption plain Shitty.

and say, "Hey, that looks cool I want to copy that person's dumpster style and I can be fresh, new and cool like them." My point is that someone who never went to UCFV has alre;:idy cornered the market on that style, so find your own or go back to paint-bynumber landscapes.

It's a banana! It's a green banana what does it mean? The artist is trying to aggravate my senses; I hate bananas, especially unripe green ones. If there is some kind of cosmic message about bananas or just fresh fruit in general, it's lost in a sea of eighties' pop culture.

Splatter art is dumb. To me, it shows lack of talent and originality, but that's just my opinion. If you think that gobs of paint and other assorted chunks look cool, then you may think that this is a masterpiece. Who's to say who is _right, simple as that? I don't think this particular piece looks all that special.

I'm not sure where to begin with this one. It's Jabba the Hut sitting on a pile of pastel blocks. It's very disturbing: I'm not sure which is worse, the pastel or the chunky blob trying to pass itself off as human. And another thing, where is his left arm?

Artistic genius it's an X-Files Madonna. Could it be a social commentary? Maybe, but it looks cool; it shows talent and skill. It must have taken a long time to draw and color everything. The skateboard, flying saucer, dinosaur and broadsword make this piece accessible to me: I can connect with it. The addition of the tennis ball allows somewhat gentler people to connect with this as well. Nice job: simple, well finished art for the common adolescent male.

This piece screams, "Hi there, I'm a rough draft!" So why is it framed?

This is another example of extremely good art. A beautiful woman painted in stark black •and white in contrast with a rich burgundy. Style and talent are literally dripping off of this painting. It makes

a statement while, at the same time looking amazing. When your painting is this good, who cares that you bolted sheet metal to it?

This piece kind of reminds me of what I imagine a colon looks like. Although the wish list looks like Nine Inch Nails lyrics and it's covered in blobs of paint and other assorted bits of cardboard and plastic, it all seems to formally go together. Either the message is silly and cliche, or it's too deep for me to comprehend. I'll give the artist the benefit of the doubt. Regardless of a message, all the shapes go together to make a kind of neat little jumble.

This is the kind of art that yuppies hung over their Commodore 64's in the eighties or in dentists' waiting rooms. It's really colorful, and has a somewhat erotic nature but come on, it's ugly. Whatever message this piece has is lost on me, and come on it's ugly.

Big, pink ugliness sat in the corner waiting for me like some kind of big pink ugly thing. This represents almost everything I find silly and boring in art. From the cliche "I hate American consumerism, militarism and pop culture" to the underwear and chicken wire, pink board, Uncle Sam cliche. Then there was the whole "I copy famous artists" (Andy Warhol) tone of the piece. Did I mention the pink? Show us something new.

The heart under glass was cool. It looked like a heart, and just in time for Valentine's Day. Good work, anonymous stranger.

When I look at a sculpture like the sculpture of a pair of legs, I say to myself, "I could do this, why is this so special?" Then I noticed that it had no toes and that really set me off. It did nothing for me.

This show really highlighted some of the really talented artists at UCFV; too bad no one named themselves or their pieces, because they really deserve some credit.

by T.P.

OK, ok, I'll submit that my last Horrorscopes were not the best (Ghandi is seldom funny, what was I thinking?), but this time, like the loser at the track, I have a new system that is guaranteed not to fail. Why will it not fail? Because when I was out of town this last week I realized a few crucial things while at a Chinese food place. First, no matter what kind of meat it was, it was the same shade of gray. Second, applying lots.of the complementary red mystery sauce will make almost anything edible. Third, when the words "in bed" are added to the end of any fortune cookie fortune, it is greeted with raucous laughter. So to prove that I am still the nine-of-diamonds of comedy, I have resolved to eat lots of stale cookies which I suspect are nine-tenths urine, and predict your future.

Aquarius: January 20 February 19

Share your rash with others today in bed, haha. Compatible with Libra

Pisces: February 20 March 20

You have an unusually selfish personality in bed, haha. Compatible with Capricorn

Aries: March 21 April 20

You will always have good luck with your mom's trailer park husband's boils in bed, haha

Compatible with Scorpio

Taurus: April 21 May 21

Now is the time to try something new: may I suggest peanut butter in bed, haha

Compatible with Leo

Gemini: May 22 June 22

Good news will be brought to you by mail. That new subscription to "Over Fifty Lesbian Dwarves" in bed, haha Compatible with Virgo

Cancer: June 23 July 23

You are never clever, witty or charming in bed, haha Hey you don't have to eat these to get the fortune out of them. Compatible with Sagittarius

Leo: July 24 -August 23

You will inherit some genetic disorder or small genitals in bed? Hmmm Compatible with Taurus

Virgo: August 24 September 23

You have a reputation for being straight but you are not. in bed, haha Compatible with Gemini

Libra: September 24 October 23

You will be proud in manner but tolerant of fools like me in bed,

with Aquarius

Scorpio: October 23 November 21

Ignorance never settles a question. That would make no sense unless we add "in bed" get it now, you little deviant?

with Aries

Sagittarius: November 22 December 22

You will be fortunate in everything you put your hands/mouth on in bed, haha

with Cancer

Capricorn: December 23 January 19

You are a very average person in bed,-haha

with Pisces

UCFV Scholarship Opportunities

For a complete list of the scholarships and awards available that includes criteria and eligibility, and other financial aid opportunities please refer to the Student Financial Planning Handbook, available from Student Financial Aid Services, Student Services, or refer to the Student Financial Aid Services website at ww.ucfv.bc.ca/fineaid/awards. Application Deadline by May 10th Applicants who receive awards will be notified by June 1st, 2000.

General (Please fill out application and return to Student Financial Aid Services):

Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce Scholarship $900

Abbotsford Peace Scholarship of Amnesty International Group 163 $500

Abbotsford Police Association Scholarship $350

Abbotsford Police Association Family Member Scholarship $350

Agassiz-Harrison Scholarship $500

B.C. Council of Garden Clubs Scholarship $500 (Return Application the Fin. Aid office, decision will be made by the Horticulture Dept.)

B.C. Hydro Scholarship $250 (Bus. Admin. or CIS)

B.C. Hydro Scholarship-$1,000 (Bus. Admin.)

B.C. Hydro Scholarship- $1,000 (CIS)

B.C. Library Association Scholarship $200 (Lib. Tech)

B.C. Telephone Awards -$625 (2 available)

Betty Urquhart Award-$800 (approx.)

Business Administration Student Association Award (BASA) $300 Tuition Waiver (2 available)

Canwest Publishers Limited Scholarship -$1,000 (10 available in 2000)

Chilliwack Foundation Scholarship- $750

Conair Aviation Ltd. Scholarship $1,000 (Bus. Admin in Aviation)

The Denbow Transport Award $1,000

The Depape Memorial Scholarship $200 (Agri.)

The Gladys Schmidt Memorial Scholarship $1,000 (Return Application the Fin. Aid office, decision will be made by the Nursing Dept.)

Harvey Schroeder Scholarship $1,000 (Agri.)

Jason Kress Memorial Scholarship $500( (Return Application the Fin. Aid office, decision will be made by the Avaition Dept.)

Karen Toop Memorial Scholarship $1000 (Return Application the Fin. Aid office, decision wiirbe made by the Nursing Dept.)

Mart Kenney Easter Seal Scholarship (BC Lions Society for Children with Disabilities $500 (Return Application the Fin. Aid office, decision will be made by the DRC Co-oridinator)

Mathilda and Cornelius Kelleher Memorial Award $500 (Return Application the Fin. Aid office, decision will be made by the UCFV First Nations Advisor)

Minter Scholarship $ 1000

Monague Native Crafts Ltd. Scholarship $500 (Return Application the Fin. Aid office, decision will be made by the UCFV First Nations Advisor)

Oliver 1Kastner Memorial Scholarship (donated by the Mission/Abbotsford

University Women's Club)- $500

Rick Winczura / Fraser Valley Autobody Scholarship $900

R.J. (Bert) Forrest Memorial Scholarship (donated by the Rotary Club of Chilliwack) $750

Rotary Agriculture Scholarship (donated by Rotary Club of Chilliwack/Fraser Cheam)-$1,000

Rotary Club of Chilliwack Two Year Academic Award (donated by the Rotary Club of Chilliwack) $3000 over two years

Sandy Steele Memorial Scholarship (donated by the Pinkiewicz family and UCFV Faculty and Staff Association) $500

Susan Witter Award-$400 (CE, CCP, ESL)

UCFV Tuition Scholarships -Tuition Awards (13 available)

University Women's Club of Chilliwack Memorial Award (donated by the University Women's Club)- up to $1,000 (2 available)

The Upper Fraser Valley Dental Hygienists Society Award at UCFV $500

The Walter Weslowsky Memorial Award-$1,000 (Aviation)

Apply to Departments:

American Society oflndustrial Security Award (Canadian Pacific Chapter) $300 (Criminology)

CGA Academic Excellence Scholarship $500 (Bus. Admin.)

CGA Continuing Education Tuition Scholarship- $750 (3 available) (Bus. Admin.)

Chilliwack Players Guild Scholarship-$500 (Theatre)

Frank Staines Memorial Scholarship $200 (Visual Arts)

Laverne Adams First Nations Scholarship $250 (Theatre)

Lorraine Sawatsky Memorial Award-$300 (Automotive Tech.)

The McCaffrey Memorial Scholarship Tuition Award for one semester (Visual Arts)

Norma Kenney Memorial Tuition Waiver Scholarship-Tuition Award (Theatre)

Skye MacDonald Memorial Scholarship in Theatre $200

*UCFV Student Union Society Returning Student Award $500 (Apply to UCFV SUS Award Selection Committee by May 1'1)

Recommended by Departments/Donors (Students need not apply):

American Assocation of Geographers Award $100 & Plaque

Applied Business Technology Excellence Award $100

Applied Science Technologists and Technicians: President's Award of Excellence Framed certificate and a free membership to the Applied Science Technologists and Technicians Professional Association (Drafting)

Ashland External Study Scholarship $250 (Theatre)

Award to Recognize an Outstanding Contribution to Student Governance/Compass Group Canada Award-$1000

B.C. Association of Social Workers Scholarship- $250 B.C. CDA Provincial Board Award of Excellence Framed certificate and gold-filled B.C. Certification pin (Dental Assist.)

Canadian Association of Geographers Award $100 & Plaque

Canadian Daughter's League National Council ScholarshipFund $500 (ABT)

Certified Management Accountants Award $500 credit towards CMA student fees (Bus. Admin.)

Chadsey-Abbott Award $500 (Nursing) Chilliwack General Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence in Nursing$250, Plaque & Pen

Doug McDowell Scholarship $700 (Math.)

Employee Association of Menno Home A ward for Outstanding Practicum Achievement $100 (2 available) (RCA)

English Department Book Prize Book Prize

Farm Credit Corporation Agriculture Scholarship $300

First Nations Graduating Student Award in Science $500 Gahkal/Saran Memorial Scholarship $400 (Crim.)

Guy Rushton Award for Student Leadership Book or piece of Folk Art Hawes Memorial Award $ I 00 Geography; Book Prize- Theatre History Book Prize Book Prize

Margaret Ormsby Prize for the Best Essay in British Columbia History $300

Mircho Jakobow Memorial Scholarship $250 (Visual Arts)

Mosby Academic Achievement Book Award Book Prize (Nursing)

Outstanding Academic Achievement Award $250 & Plaque (Dental Assist.)

Outstanding Achievement in Art History Book Prize

Outstanding Clinical Performance Award $100 (Dental Assist.)

Philip Walter Memorial Book Award Book Prize (Agriculture)

Pleasant View Care Home Award for Care of Dementia Residents $ l 00 (RCA)

Procor (BC) Inc. Award of Excellence -$300 (Welding)

Registered Nursing Association of BC Professional Practice A ward Book Prize

Dr. Robert Rogow Memorial Book Prize in Industrial Relations Book Prize (Bus. Admin.)

Ron Wiebe Memorial Scholarship $500 (Crim.)

Sam Sussel Agri-Business Scholarship $500 (Agri.)

Social, Cultural and Media Studie~ Outstanding Achievement A wards Book or piece of Folk Art (2 available)

Society of Vocational Instructor's Award $200 (Trades)

UCFV Athletic Scholarship- Between $250-$650

UCFV Althetic Tuition Waiver Tuition Award

UCFV Outstanding Acheivement Award in Chemistry 1'1 Year AwardBook Prize & Plaque

UCFV "OutstandingAcheivement Award in Chemistry 2 nd Year Award $ I00 & Certificate

Vancouver Stock Exchange Scholarship- $500 (CIS)

We Care Home Health Services Award -$100 (2 available) (RCA) Women's History Network of the Fraser Valley (WHNNalley) Writing Prize-$100

Writing Across the Curriculum Prizes $ I00 each

March 22, 2000 is World Water Day

The Mission Chapter of the Council of Canadians is hosting a discussion of water issues in Canada. Included in the discussion will be Elizabeth May from the Sierra Club and CHECKYOURHEAD. Theater (8101) contact Graham Dowden for more info : dowden@ucfv.bc.ca

UCFV's first Teaching Excellence award \Villbe presented at the a,vards ceremony in June.

Some of the criteria which will be used to judge nominees will be: teaching strategies, rapport with students, commitment to the education process, knowledge of subject area, participation in professional development and scholarly activity, positive attitude, objectivity, perception of students as individuals, empathy, integrated perceptionof students; and role modelbehaviour.

The deadline for nominations is VVednesday, lviarch 15, 2000. To nominate someone, you must obtain their consent. Nomination forms can be picked up from Faculty Reception or the University College Council office (EUenor Greavos, Room B:309b,Abbotsford campus).

Nominations foi- the award can come from UCFV students, staff, or faculty, but n1ust be supported by at least one faculty member (in addition to the nominee) and five studnnts who have been taught by the nominee.

All Regular Type B faculty, lab, and sessional instructors are eligible to he nominated during, or any time after, their third year of consecutive service to UCFV.

A selection committee will choose \Vinner(s). This committee will he comprised of one faculty rep from each of the faculties, two students, and ·one alumni.

The \\tinner will receive a $1,000 prize to be used toward professional development, a plaque, and a mention in the UCFV calendar,

For more information, call the University College Council office at 853-7 441, local 4571, drop into Room B309b {Abbotsford) or e-mail greavese@ucfv.bc.ca.

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE of the FRASER VALLEY Nomination deadline approaching for first Teacbiug Excellence awards

Do you know an excellent teacher who deserves to be recognized?