The Cascade Vol. 28 Iss. 11

MARCH 25 TO MARCH 31, 2020

VOLUME 28 ISSUE 11

Editing without pants since 1993

COVID-19 RESPONSES ABBOTSFORD BUSINESSES

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UNIVERSITY OF THE FRASER VALLEY

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CASCADES ATHLETICS

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FREE THE NIPPLE

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FEATURE: ABBOTSFORD’S HISTORY

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TEAM STARKID’S BLACK FRIDAY

VOL. 28 // ISSUE 11

News Editor Sam Young samuel@ufvcascade.ca

Opinion Editor Andrea Sadowski andrea@ufvcascade.ca

Culture & Events Editor Carissa Wiens carissa@ufvcascade.ca

Arts in Review Editor Chandy Dancey chandy@ufvcascade.ca

Digital Media Manager Anoop Dhaliwal anoop@ufvcascade.ca Photographer David Myles Staff Writer Aleister Gwynne Staff Writer Nicholas Ashenhurst-Toews

Sports Editor Alex Jesus alex@ufvcascade.ca Illustrator Kayt Hine Illustrator Kelly Ning Sports Writer Nic Jackson

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Social Media Coordinator Daniela Vasquez

Staff Writer Krystina Spracklin

CONTRIBUTORS Amanjot Dhaliwal Front Cover: Mikaela Collins Back Cover: Study Break

WWW.UFVCASCADE.CA

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10 Snapshots.......7

@UFVCASCADE FACEBOOK.COM/UFVCASCADE INSTAGRAM.COM/UFVCASCADE Volume 28 · Issue 11 Room S2111 33844 King Road Abbotsford, BC V2S 7M8 604.854.4529

The Cascade is UFV’s autonomous student newspaper. It originated under its current name in 1993, and achieved autonomy from the university and the Student Union Society in 2002. This means that The Cascade is a forum for UFV students to have their journalism published in an entirely student-run setting. It also acts as an alternative press for the Fraser Valley. The Cascade is funded with UFV student funds, and is overseen by the Cascade Journalism Society Board, a body run by a student majority. The Cascade is published every Wednesday with a print circulation of 800 and is distributed at Abbotsford, Chilliwack (CEP), Clearbrook, and Mission UFV campuses and throughout the surrounding communities.

The Cascade is open to written, photo, and design work from all students; these can come in the form of a pitch to an editor, or an assignment from an editor. Pitch meetings will be digital for the remainder of the semester. Please email managing@ufvcascade.ca to be put on the assignment email list.

In order to be published in the newspaper, all work must first be approved by The Cascade’s editor-in-chief, copy editor, and corresponding section editor. The Cascade reserves the right to edit submissions for clarity and length. The Cascade will not print any articles that contain racist, sexist, homophobic, or libellous content. Letters to the editor, while held to the same standard, are unedited, and should be under 200 words. As The Cascade is an autonomous student publication, opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of UFV, The Cascade’s staff and collective, or associated members.

The Cascade is published on the traditional, unceded territory of the Stó:lō peoples. We are grateful to be able to work and learn on this beautiful land.

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ARTS

Feature Editor Darien Johnsen darien@ufvcascade.ca

OPINION

Copy Editor Kat Marusiak kat@ufvcascade.ca

NEWS

Production Manager Elyssa English elyssa@ufvcascade.ca

Creative Director Mikaela Collins mikaela@ufvcascade.ca

CONTENTS

FEATURE

Business Manager Aneesha Narang aneesha@ufvcascade.ca

Managing Editor Nadia Tudhope nadia@ufvcascade.ca

CULTURE

Executive Editor Jessica Barclay jessica@ufvcascade.ca

14.......CIVL The Cascade Shuffle

Study Break.......16 NEWS UFV's COVID-19 response......3

4......Small businesses

Changes at UFV......4

4......Semester update

OPINION Editorial.......5

5.......Dear Robin

Free the nipple.......6

6.......COVID-19 in Canada

CULTURE 10.......Exercise in isolation

Cascade Kitchen......10 Keeping connected.....11

11.......Concert cancellations

Trying to go home.....12 SPORTS Sports closures.......12

13......Women's basketball

Youth sports.......13 ARTS Black Friday......14 Cascade rewind......15

15......C. J. Lavigne debuts novel

VOL. 28 // ISSUE 10

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020

news@ufvcascade.ca Sam Young — News Editor

NEWS NEWS

UFV //

NEWS BRIEFS

Some alcohol delivery permitted in B.C. Starting immediately, sealed, packaged liquor will be available for purchase with pick-up and delivery meals from participating restaurants certified to serve liquor in B.C. Liquor purchased in this way must be in addition to a meal and will require the person purchasing liquor to present the usual ID required for a liquor purchase.

The person delivering the liquor must hold a Serving It Right certificate. The new policy expires July 15, 2020.

David Eby, attorney general, said the change will allow for people to maintain social distancing and for restaurants to support their workers.

- Abby News

Misleading claims reportedly lead to hydroxychloroquine poisoning Two cases of hydroxychloroquine poisoning have been reported in Nigeria. An increase in unauthorized usage of the anti-malarial drug is reportedly due to U.S. President Donald Trump promoting it as a treatment for COVID-19. A related drug, chloroquine, is still widely available overthe-counter in pharmacies and shops in Nigeria despite being banned in 2005 after malaria developed a resistance to it.

The effectiveness, safety, and viability of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine as a treatment has not yet been verified.

Only small clinical trials have been conducted.

“Please DO NOT engage in self-medication,” the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control said in a tweet. “This will cause harm and can lead to death.”

UFV’s COVID-19 response to date JESSICA BARCLAY ALEISTER GWYNNE The COVID-19 pandemic is a rapidly evolving situation, and over the course of two weeks UFV has progressed from cancelling large events to slowly closing its campuses. Here is everything the university has done to address the pandemic so far: Classes Two days before the B.C. government declared a state of emergency on March 17, UFV paused classes for the week in preparation for a shift to online, remote learning.

Classes started up remotely March 23 for all departments except welding, which will be paused until face-to-face instruction resumes. This includes all classes in the College of Arts, trades, health studies, and continuing education.

The Teaching and Learning Centre has been offering resources and guidance in managing Blackboard to help faculty make the transition to remote learning, including inperson seminars and a “road map” online tutorial.

As of March 15, students currently participating in off-campus clinical placements, internships, co-ops, and practicums may continue with the permission of the host institution, except for clinical dental assistant placements, which are cancelled. Visual arts students who require access to labs will have access to the rooms at specific posted times.

Face-to-face exams for the Winter 2020 semester are cancelled and examinations will take place in a format to be determined by faculty, in coordination with the department's dean. Students are advised to contact their professors for questions regarding specific classes, including remote learning and examination format.

The summer semester will proceed with online classes only for the early, full, and late summer sessions. Some courses previously on the timetable will be removed and others will be added. Registration will continue as usual.

Students looking for more information about their specific classes should contact their professor.

UFV has set up a FAQ page and a number of frequently updated resources that have been linked throughout this article. Questions not answered in the FAQ can be emailed to UFV Environmental Health and Safety at covid19@ufv. ca.

Events On March 16, the B.C. government limited gatherings to under 50 people and is strongly encouraging everyone to engage in social distancing. To comply, all events and in-person appointments have been cancelled at UFV. “UFV is working with provincial ministries and others to ensure we align with the direction set by the Provincial Health Officer,” the March 23 COVID-19 blog update said.

For students graduating this semester, convocation is set for the first week of June and will continue as planned. Grad photos are ongoing with social distancing measures in place.

Services UFV’s services are still available in a remote format, as university employees transition to remote work.

The list of how to contact each service at the university can be found on the UFV Blog.

“In order to help protect the health of UFV faculty, staff, students, and the broader UFV community, and comply with the Provincial Health Officer’s advice,

UFV is implementing a phased approach to working remotely for employees,” according to the March 17 COVID-19 UFV update.

Sections of campus remain open, including the campus card offices and print services. However, many other areas are closed, and other places that remain open are operating under modified hours. Campus libraries are now closed, but online library services will continue. Materials can still be returned via book drop, and no late fees will be charged going forward.

One computer lab on both the Abbotsford and Chilliwack campuses will remain accessible “for students who may not have a computer or device readily available,” according to the March 23 blog post update.

The university has also set up Wi-Fi hotspots in the Abbotsford and Chilliwack campus parking lots for social distancing-friendly internet access.

Since students and faculty will likely have greater need of technical services in the new online environment, IT Service Desk hours for all remote channels are being extended to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday. The exceptions are the walk-in IT Service Desk and the student device repair service, which are temporarily suspended.

Students seeking counselling or advising services may access them by email or telephone.

A number of fact-based, online resources are available regarding COVID-19, including the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, Fraser Health, and the Government of Canada COVID-19 page. Over the phone, non-medical questions regarding COVID-19 can be asked at 1-888-COVID19. For text, 1-604630-0300. Medical-related COVID-19 questions can be answered at 811.

- the Globe and Mail

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VOL. 28 // ISSUE 11

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020

NEWS Community //

Abbotsford businesses get creative during crisis Small businesses shift operating tactics, some close DARIEN JOHNSEN Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses across Abbotsford have temporarily closed down this week, and it seems likely that closures will continue.

Though the city has yet to completely shut down, all recreation centres have closed their doors, as well as privatelyowned gyms such as GoodLife and Fit4Less. Other major business closures include the Keg, David’s Tea, Saje Wellness, Cineplex, Ikea, and Value Village, and many major companies have already laid off thousands of employees across Canada.

In downtown Abbotsford, many local businesses have also been indefinitely closed or reduced their hours, including Montrose & George, Hemingway’s, Duft & Co., and Spruce Collective. Some eateries, such as Polly Fox, Habit Project, Nine Kitchen, and Brgr Brgr remain open in some capacity, but have opted to begin offering takeout in place of their normal service.

Some local businesses are getting creative in their response to the pandemic: Oldhand Coffee shop is offering to deliver some items to customers’ doors to ensure they don’t have to leave the house. According to social media posts, Oldhand, which closed its doors on March 17, also

sold some items from their shop on Friday including bulk coffee beans, mustard, tea, gift cards, and few other select goods.

Field House Brewing Co. is also closed to sit-in customers, but remains available for same-day delivery orders by phone.

Both Field House and Oldhand have also offered care packages of various goods and food items to employees. Field House said the rest of its produce will be donated to the Archway Food Bank, who have been experiencing shortages of food and donations during this crisis.

Other local businesses outside of the downtown core have also taken precautionary measures. Trading Post Brewery is closed but offering online orders and de-

livery, Afterthoughts restaurant is staying open for takeout, and the Reach museum has closed its doors until April 7.

Under the federal government’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan, eligible businesses will be given a 10 per cent wage subsidy for 90 days, and tax payment dates will be extended until after Aug. 31, 2020 with no penalties or interest.

The federal government also plans to increase available credit to small, medium, and large Canadian businesses through a new Business Credit Availability Program, as well as a number of other measures.

UFV //

The changing face of UFV UFV environmental scan reveals demographic details about our university ALEISTER GWYNNE UFV recently released a report entitled Environmental Scan in Support of Strategic Planning, which compiles statistics from the past five to 10 years. The data from this report reveals facts and trends about UFV, including a rise in the number of international students, as well as a first-year student retention rate of 60 per cent.

Studies on student retention and achievement have revealed that over 40 per cent of new students end up leaving UFV during their first year. It is also taking longer for students to obtain a bachelor’s degree, although this is less the case with diplomas or those who have transfer credits from other universities.

UFV’s proportion of international students has also more than doubled over the past five years, increasing from 932

enrolments in the 2013-14 academic year to 2,289 in 2018-19, an increase of 145.6 per cent. Meanwhile, the number of domestic students remained steady over that time period with a change of negative one per cent.

The country of origin of most international students has changed as well.

In 2013, the greatest number of students came from China. Since then, enrollment of Chinese students has declined by 28.2 per cent, while enrollments of students from India have increased by 609.7 per cent, overtaking China and all other countries of origin.

Chandigarh is UFV’s fastest-growing campus with a 236.3 per cent increase in enrollments over the past year, though student numbers remain small, with only 306 enrolled during 2018/19. Enrollment at other campuses has varied greatly. Attendance is increasingly centralized in

the Abbotsford and Chilliwack campuses, which saw moderate increases in full-time enrollment during the five-year period, while some other centres saw a decrease.

Most notably, Hope and Mission suffered a decline of roughly two-thirds each. Online enrollment has also increased by 33.9 per cent.

Student surveys indicate that a major factor in choosing UFV is cost of tuition and closeness to home. 86 per cent of firstyear UFV student survey respondents reported living with parents, guardians, or relatives, and 67 per cent reported being employed, as opposed to a national average of 45 per cent and 36 per cent respectively. Fewer students at UFV hold debt than the Canadian average, but those who do owe more. While UFV may be seen as the cheap and convenient option for many, student expressions of satisfaction with UFV’s services are equal to or higher

than the Canadian average.

The report also examined the employment and income prospects of UFV graduates. On the whole, median incomes for graduates with a bachelor's degree are not much greater than those with a high school diploma in the 25-34 age bracket, differing by about $5,000 annually. Those who have an apprenticeship or trades diploma or certificate, however, have a median income of $15,000 more. For those in the 35-44 age bracket, median incomes rise significantly for those who hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, or those who possess the aforementioned trades certifications. Other parts of the study point out that “degree inflation,” which reduces the value of a degree because of the number of people who hold it, is less likely to be a factor in the Fraser Valley, since fewer people in the region have post-secondary credentials.

UFV //

UFV announces online-only summer classes, extended Winter withdraw deadline JESSICA BARCLAY UFV students have until May 8 to withdraw from their winter classes, according to the March 24 COVID-19 update from the university.

Additionally, UFV announced there will be no face-to-face summer classes. All classes during the summer semester will be remote or online only, for the full, late, and early sessions. There will be alterations to the offered classes to accommodate this change.

Previously, the last day to withdraw from a class in the winter semester was

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March 3. There will be “no adverse academic effect” for students wishing to use this new deadline, but they will receive a W on their transcript.

“For courses dropped during this new withdrawal period, a ‘W’ will show on the student’s permanent record, but will not count as a course attempt when calculating repeat rules,” the March 24 email said.

Students wishing to withdraw from their winter classes can do so online; those with student loans should first contact Financial Aid, and student athletes should first contact Alicia Hurley.

Aside from the extended withdrawal deadline, UFV’s academic calendar will

continue as scheduled. Registration for the summer semester will be available online, and the online classes are set to begin May 4 for the full and early sessions and July 2 for the late sessions.

Additional closures were announced in the email. Starting March 26, the Student Union Building will be closed, except for those with offices within the building, as will the Applied Technology and Technical Studies building in Chilliwack.

The Abbotsford and Chilliwack bookstores have moved to online service only.

In Chilliwack, the Cascade Café has closed, and the Abbotsford location will close after Thursday.

The computer labs on the Abbotsford and Chilliwack campuses have been reduced to one per campus. The university has set up Wi-Fi hotspots in the campus parking lots for social distancing-friendly internet access.

“As the COVID-19 situation evolves, the university is adapting and providing education and services online wherever and whenever possible. So while the doors to some buildings and services may be closed, UFV remains open, active, and online,” Dave Pinton, UFV’s director of communications, said in the March 24 blog post.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25 2020

VOL. 28 // ISSUE 11

opinion@ufvcascade.ca Andrea Sadowski — Opinion Editor

Editorial //

OPINION OPINION

Humour //

Provincial aid Dear Robin too late for those experiencing job loss JESSICA BARCLAY Provincial financial aid will be coming too late for many in B.C. affected by job loss and illness during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On March 23 the provincial government rolled out their COVID-19 Action Plan, which includes the regular climate action tax credit payment, the potential to defer B.C. Hydro payments by six months, and a six-month freeze of student loan payments.

Also announced was a one-time, $1,000 tax-free payment to those whose income was impacted by COVID-19. However, the applications for this payment open in April, with the actual payments not coming until May. British Columbians would also not see the benefits of the increased climate action tax credit until July.

This will be too late for many British Columbians currently struggling with income loss. What is needed now is immediate, concrete assistance for those who have either lost their job due to COVID-19 or are having to choose between work and social distancing measures, or work and caring for elderly relatives.

Ian Tostenson, president of the B.C. Restaurant and Foodservices Association, said that as many as 80 per cent of the 180,000 workers in his association currently are unemployed. Walt Judas, CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of B.C, reported that approximately two-thirds of the 300,000 tourism employees in B.C. have lost their jobs.

In 2018, a poll released by the Canadian Payroll Association found that as many as

49 per cent of British Columbians could be living paycheque to paycheque. A quarter would not be able to come up with $2,000 for an emergency expense within a month.

The B.C. aid fails to account for the rapid impact this has had on people and the need for immediate financial support. Many workers have gone from having a consistent paycheque to job loss, and credit card debt incurred during periods of certainty will not be forgiven, nor will the need for food decrease over the next month.

Additionally, there are many in B.C. who are currently choosing between maintaining a job and adhering to social distancing standards. Those living with and/or caring for elderly relatives may need to choose between financial security and ensuring the safety of their family.

There is undeniably other aid that is being offered to those struggling, such as payment deferrals and the federal government's Emergency Care Benefit and recently announced four-month-long $2,000 per month replacement EI payments, for those who qualify.

B.C. should be looking to the plans laid out by the federal government and following suit with fast financial assistance for those experiencing income loss during this pandemic, and considering how they will help British Columbians in the long term if job loss continues.

People need immediate assurance that if they need to stay home during this pandemic, they will have provincial support, and the current aid does not inspire confidence.

ROBIN HALPER Life is tough and confusing and weird.

We all need help sometimes, and when you need an expert opinion, you turn to an expert opinion-giver like Robin Halper. Whatever problem you’re facing in life, Robin will have a solution. The Cascade cannot guarantee the effectiveness of Robin’s unique approach to life, but if you’re in a jam, get some advice by writing to halp@ufvcascade.ca Other health issues Dear Robin, I tripped and fell on my wrist two days ago, and it’s getting pretty swollen. But it doesn’t hurt a whole lot. I haven’t gone to the hospital yet because I feel like they’re all pretty busy with flu patients and the whole pandemic thing. Do you have any suggestions for at-home remedies to heal a probably fractured wrist?

Or should I just go to the emergency room?

Sincerely, Wondering about my wrist Hello, Well, if a bunch of people from my high school grad class are right, then paying a large sum of money to get a few tiny bottles of essential oils will solve any issue you may have. Fractured wrist? Put some lemon oil in your essential oil diffuser. Eyesight getting worse? Rub a

couple of drops of lavender oil into your eyes. Have the coronavirus?

Just wash your hands with Thieves hand soap. Their products will definitely cure all your problems including your wrist, plus ruin all your friendships because that’s how pyramid schemes work.

Cheers.

Robin Separation anxiety Dear Robin, Since I’m home so much now, my dog is starting to think this is the new normal and is getting crazy attached to me. I’m scared that when school and work go back to what they were before, she’ll have a lot of separation anxiety. What should I do to try and prevent this?

Sincerely,

Dog super mom Hello, Yes, this is a very real possibility.

Start distancing yourself from your dog by having her go for a walk with a drone while you work because animals can’t get emotionally attached to robots. Easy.

Robin

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020

VOL. 28 // ISSUE 11

OPINION Life //

Free the nipple The hypocrisy of decency laws

ALEISTER GWYNNE It occurs to me that there is something of a double standard when it comes to what is considered to be “indecent exposure,” and how society reacts to it. The Canadian Criminal Code defines “nudity” as “so clad as to offend public decency or order.” Yet who gets to decide what is “decent,” “offensive,” or “orderly”? Why is a bare-chested man at the beach considered acceptable and normal, but a woman in exactly the same situation is not? Laws and standards such as these vary by time and place, and I think it is worth examining the common double standard regarding exposure of the chest for males and females.

Based on changes in fashions and social attitudes over the past few years, I had assumed that the female breast was on its way to respectability, or at least not being as taboo as genitalia. Then again, back in the 1970s it looked like the bra might go the way of the corset, but that didn’t happen, and most women nowadays wouldn’t be caught dead in public without one. Social change does not always go in a straight

line or go in the direction you expect.

Ultimately, cultural, and by extension legal, standards of decency are changeable and arbitrary. At the beach or pool, a woman can wear a micro bikini that only covers two per cent of her body, but if she reveals the faintest sliver of areola, suddenly she has gone too far. Seventy-five years ago, swimsuits that exposed the navel were considered shocking, which goes to show how standards have evolved.

Personally, I believe that both women and men ought to have the right to be topless in public. I do not consider any part of the human body inherently sexual or obscene. By my standards, being “decent” is more about how one carries themselves and overall care in personal appearance rather than how much or how little one wears, but that’s just me.

Even though I am male, I too have breasts and nipples. I generally avoid going bare-chested for both personal and cultural reasons. My personal reasons include: general self-consciousness, severe bacne, and low body mass which means I get cold easily. There is also the matter of cultural conditioning. Even if toplessness

were to be declared universally legal tomorrow, with no ifs, ands, or buts, I doubt many people would go shirtless in public any time soon. In Canadian culture, it is simply considered uncouth to go about half-clothed, legality notwithstanding, and this attitude would not change overnight. A bare-chested man is just as likely to draw my shocked gaze as a bare-chested woman.

Even so, I still support the right of anyone to wear whatever they please as long as there are no health and safety issues, and I am not being forced to dress the same.

I may find the way you dress distasteful, but that is my problem, not yours. I make a point of not criticizing the way anyone dresses, since I would not want anyone to do the same to me.

I recall an incident in the not too distant past wherein Google flagged photos of Swazi and Zulu women in traditional costume which does not cover the breasts.

Even though the context was not at all sexual or intended to titillate, Google nevertheless applied the cultural standards of their (Western) moderators to those who do not share them. Many Muslim cultures

consider exposure of womens’ hair indecent, so shouldn’t we censor photos that show women with uncovered hair as well?

Why does mainstream Western culture get to dictate standards, while others (whether more relaxed or modest) are expected to toe the line? In my opinion, this sort of thinking goes beyond mere prudishness and crosses the line into cultural imperialism.

What we see in these crackdowns on non-sexual nudity by private companies like Google, or by governments, is the imposition of cultural norms by a powerful minority on a populace that does not necessarily share them. How acceptable nudity is to me varies, but I try to avoid holding beliefs that are inconsistent, and I cannot abide abuse of power under any circumstances. If the only ethical choice is between everything or nothing, I would choose everything knowing full well the negative consequences I might have to put up with.

Naked or niqab, you do you. All I ask is that you allow me and everyone else the same privilege.

Canada //

Activists wanted #ShutDownCanada, they got #ShutDownCanada Not exactly what activists were looking for DARIEN JOHNSEN About a month ago the Wet’suwet’en movement was in full swing, with activist cries to #ShutDownCanada, a call to stop major industry — an act of defiance against major corporations and a government that values economic progress over human rights. This was spurred by the favouring of Coastal GasLink’s LNG pipeline over the rights of the Wet’suwet’en.

We’ve now, because of the COVID-19 crisis, seen the effects of what shutting down Canada could look like — only shutting down small businesses and wage workers isn’t what activists bargained for.

Small businesses that are being forced to close and working class folks that are being temporarily laid off will suffer the most in this shutdown. While this is not what Wet'suwet'en activists envisioned, it may be what we needed. That is not to trivialize anyone’s suffering as I am seeing my own close friends who live paycheque to paycheque, who don’t have access to credit, suffering, and if this goes on long enough, they are at risk of starving. This is not to mention the growing street-entrenched population who are even more at risk.

What I meant by “this may be what we needed” is that this is a wake-up call

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showing us how vulnerable people are in our economy. There are people who can survive going weeks without work, but there are others — in fact many — who cannot go a day without work without it financially breaking them. There’s no way they would have been able to prepare for a crisis or emergency, as the economy hasn’t allowed them the opportunity to get ahead.

We live in an economy that prioritizes the wealthy over those in need, and the aftermath of the pandemic could revert back to that kind of economy, if we let it.

Social activist Naomi Klein, author of The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, released a video called “Coronavirus Capitalism and how to beat it” in response to the global pandemic and about the possibilities for a future after it. She states: “In times of crisis, seemingly impossible ideas suddenly become possible. But whose ideas? Sensible, fair ones — designed to keep as many people as possible safe, secure, and healthy? Or predatory ideas — designed to further enrich the already unimaginably wealthy, while leaving the most vulnerable further exposed?”

She goes on to discuss some of the ideas being pushed by the American government to help repair the economy after this crisis, including Trump’s push to suspend the tax on certain paycheques used for so-

cial services — which could see the elimination of Social Security in the States, and possibly cut or privatize it. Another popular idea is to bail out major industries such as airlines and oil companies, who are also major polluters.

Klein then discusses what her book The Shock Doctrine lays out: “After a shocking event, a war, coup, terrorist attack, market crash, or natural disaster — [politicians] exploit the public’s disorientation, suspend democracy, push through radical free-market policies that enrich the one per cent at the expense of the poor and middle class.”

She continues, “It’s possible for crisis to catalyze a kind of evolutionary leap. Think of the 1930s, when the Great Depression led to the New Deal. In the United States and elsewhere, governments began to weave a social safety net so that the next time there was a crash, there would be programs like social security to catch people.”

There’s no doubt that this is going to have a horrific impact on our own economy. An economics professor out of UBC, Kevin Milligan, was quoted in a Globe and Mail article as saying “My best guess is that we are very likely to do worse in March, 2020, than the worst month in the 1930s.”

In Canada, too, we see the government planning major bailouts for major industries. Ottawa is already preparing a multibillion-dollar bailout package for the oil

and gas industry, according to anonymous insiders in the federal and Alberta governments.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres made a statement over the weekend in response to this situation encouraging a human-focused response to a human crisis.

He said: “Injecting capital in the financial sector alone is not the answer…. [W]e need to focus on people — the most vulnerable, low-wage workers, small and medium enterprises. That means wage support, insurance, social protection, preventing bankruptcies and job loss. That also means designing fiscal and monetary responses to ensure that the burden does not fall on those who can least afford it. The recovery must not come on the backs of the poorest — and we cannot create a legion of new poor.” He mentions a few countries who are already taking actions such as cash transfers and universal income while also mentioning the importance of helping developing countries as well.

Coming out of the COVID-19 crisis, we should be uplifting small businesses, working-class people, green companies, and social services agencies — not opting to bail out big oil and gas companies that will only create more natural disaster crises in the future.

BRIEF BITS OF BITE-SIZED BREVITY

SN S AP HO TS

CURTAILED COMMENTARY ON CURRENT CONDITIONS

Illustrations by Kelly Ning

Puppy makeover Whenever I’m having a bad day, I watch a mini-episode of Queer Eye in which the Fab Five give a makeover to an adoptable dog named Lacey. It is 15 minutes of pure joy.

I am not ashamed to tell you that I am not a fan of Karamo, the “culture expert,” who acts almost as a therapist to the makeover recipients. I feel uncomfortable watching his segments in the show, as it feels like I am sitting in on someone else’s counselling session.

However, this doggy’s therapy session

with Karamo is all I need to hear on a bad day. Let me share it with you: “If you ever feel that stress and anxiety of maybe they’re not going to love me, I want you to say this to yourself: ‘I’m a good girl and I deserve love.’”

Everyone please repeat after me: I’m a good girl and I deserve love.

Andrea Sadowski

Lock me in a room with nothing but my unread books I have had an upsettingly tall pile of hardcovers stacked on my desk since Christmas, waiting to be read. The bottom shelf of my bookshelf is slowly transitioning into another to-read pile.

I have a place next to my night table reserved for stacks of library books.

There are no less than five books on my favourites shelf that I’ve been itching to reread for months. Before the libraries shut down, I was seriously considering stocking up on even more books.

A quarantine with a week off classes would be the perfect time to tear through all these books and cease the tide of teetering piles that threaten to overwhelm my bedroom and drown

me in my own hubris, right?

Wrong. Guess how many books I’ve read this week? That’s right: zero.

(Okay, one, but it’s less than 300 pages, and it’s taken me an entire week.)

Despite the fact that spending hours reading on the porch is a top-priority summer pastime for me, I have spent all my time going on isolation walks, FaceTiming my friends, or hunched over my laptop struggling through homework. If you don’t see me after quarantine, it’s because the books successfully conspired to smother me in my sleep.

Nadia Tudhope

Dear health care professionals Sure, you may be thanking us for doing our best to stay at home for the past several days and for washing our hands so much that no amount of moisturizer can heal them. But you’re the only ones who should be thanked as we sit on our butts watching John Mulany specials on Netflix.

Thank you for working overtime when the emergency room is bursting full of the elderly and the overly paranoid.

Thank you for still taking care of us even though some are stealing medical supplies from the hospital closets when visiting.

Thank you for continuing to fill out

our prescriptions of antidepressants, birth control, and painkillers so we can continue on living.

Thank you for being exposed to everything so we don’t have to.

Thank you for cancelling your sunny vacation to stay in cold Canada to work.

Thank you for sacrificing family time for dreary hospital time.

And thank you for serving the community instead of learning new TikTok dances.

Carissa Wiens

Laughing (because we’re scared) I’m not very good at being optimistic.

I’ve always been the one who assumes the worst is going to happen or that things are going to consistently stay pretty awful. When I am optimistic, it’s the existential, chaotic optimism that is not sustainable and inevitably ends, crashing to stark pessimism. I cannot do that anymore.

I’m taking the coming weeks one overly long day at a time. I’m trying to not let myself get bogged down by intrusive thoughts that my dad is stuck alone in his apartment on the verge of death from not being able to get his prescription and will be eaten by the cat, or that my best friend has

ceased to exist. This is an event that is so common in our friendship that he has just come to accept that he’s going to need to reassure me that he is, in fact, alive, well, and not a figment of my imagination.

I use humour to cope with my existential anxieties. Sometimes, just the act of laughter helps remind me that we will get through this one way or another. I laugh because I’m scared.

Right now, I’m laughing a lot.

Nicholas AshenhurstToews

7

A past that paved the present The hidden stories that shaped Abbotsford

By Amanjot Dhaliwal

A

bbotsford isn’t usually synonymous with interesting. The growing, medium-sized city is built upon agriculturally rich land, with farms dominating the outer edges. The slow pace of the city (especially the public transport) gives it a laid-back atmosphere that some may refer to as boring. Boasting its berries and retirement homes, Abbotsford may be an acquired taste for more than 150,000 people that call it home. Despite not having the same global fame as its neighbour Vancouver, Abbotsford is rich in hidden stories. Passed on through family tales and folded into local history books is heritage that cannot be found elsewhere — not even the internet at times. (Crazy, I know.)

I talked with some knowledgeable community members to learn more about the hidden stories that made Abbotsford into the place we know it to be today.

Part I: The People of the River Keith Thor Carlson is a history professor at UFV and a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Indigenous and Community-engaged History. He has worked with the Stó:lō communities in the Fraser Valley since 1992. When he was a grad student at UVic, Carlson did a co-operative education work term for the federal government filing Indigenous land claims. “I thought naively that meant you were working to help Indigenous people on their land claims. That’s not how it worked at all. It was totally you were working against Indigenous people on their land claims ... I got a real sense of how the government sees Indigenous people as an obstacle to development — an obstacle to everything that has to be overcome,” said Carlson. After that, Carlson reached out to work directly with First Nations communities and has been focusing on Indigenous history ever since.

As Carlson explained, “Stó:lō” translates to river. “[The Stó:lō people] are the people of the lower Fraser River. [From Yale, which is] where the rapids

become so tough in the Fraser Canyon that you can’t go further, down to the mouth of the Fraser River is the Stó:lō region,” Carlson stated. Carlson said that the Abbotsford campus of UFV is located on Matsqui territory — one of the approximately 27 different Stó:lō tribal communities along the lower Fraser River. “[Matsqui are] a community that was devastated by smallpox back in the late 18th century ... An epidemic that started in Mexico and then spread through intertribal networks all the way up into British Columbia. But the survivors of all the Stó:lō communities consolidated — so there would be a few survivors from this village and that village and that village, and they would move to be with their relatives and [wherever] was the most defensible or protected place they could be,” Carlson said.

The risk of attack from the people on the North Coast who did not have the epidemic drove the Matsqui away from their village, and inland. Carlson explained that “They moved away from the water to be protected because the winding tributary river that leads up to that site was too short, so the big canoes of the ocean-going raiders couldn’t make the turns. So the Matsqui people were safe up at the top of that hill.” Therefore, as Carlson elaborated, the origins of human settlement in Abbotsford are based around a safe place of refuge.

A land of lessons As Carlson explained, many landmarks found around Abbotsford have significance to the Stó:lō community that is passed on through cultural sharing. “The Matsqui people, the Stó:lō people here, have transformer stories that talk about how the world came to be the permanent way it is ... The world was very chaotic and dangerous in the past that the people could transform into animals, or animals could transform into people and they had magic powers that could hurt people. And so what happened is the transformers come through, and they take that chaotic world and they make

it recognizable — they make the world that we see today. They make it ‘right’ — this is the word the elders use. And so, at various points throughout the Fraser Valley, are transformer stones.”

Carlson explained that transformer stones are people who were transformed into stones to “teach a lesson to convey history.” Carlson also mentioned that an important Stó:lō transformer stone is buried under a dike on the Fraser River. It is the site of the first Matsqui person — a beaver.

Another transformer stone is in the Aldergrove Regional Park — just a few kilometres away from UFV. Carlson discussed how a geologist may see the giant rock as a remnant of glacial activity, but the Stó:lō people “[will] tell you there was, and still is, a village right there beside the park. And in that village was a man who had the ability to tell when enemies were coming. And the way he could tell was that he would start to sneeze.” The transformers noticed this and wanted the story to remain so people would always stay wary of dangerous visitors. The man was transformed into the gigantic stone that stands in the park today, and is now called “meqsel” (or “nose” in the Stó:lō language), as Carlson explained.

A relationship defined by consumption However, the dynamic of the community greatly changed when people from different parts of the world began to take interest in this region.

“The Stó:lō word for you and I, for people who have come from elsewhere in the world to settle here, is Xwelitem. Xwelitem translates as people who are so hungry they are starving.

“That was first used when Simon Fraser, the very first explorer to come into this territory, left all of his supplies up above the North Canyon — because he couldn’t take them through; the canyon was too rough. And so he arrived down here with no food.

And if you’re a Stó:lō person travelling in the past,

you always bring food in your canoe to where you were going. So hosts would have food to give you, but guests would bring food with them.

“We have this word now that continues to resonate with the Stó:lō, because it’s hungry people who were first hungry for food and then hungry for their children. They took [them] to residential school, took them away. And then hungry for resources — they would cut down forests, take the gold, take the land, and so that term continues to resonate,” Carlson said.

Part of this legacy are stories that can be difficult to tell. Between UFV and the Fraser River is the Matsqui prairie — a low-land area that the Matsqui traditionally used to hunt ducks and geese, trap, and gather plants. Most of this land was part of the original promised First Nations reserve, “but the government took that reserve away without compensation,” Carlson explained. “It was reduced from 9,600 acres down to just 80 acres ... It was eventually made a little bit bigger, until it got up to a couple hundred acres, but never anything near the size it was.”

Carlson said that the land was instead given away to a developer that put in the dike system allowing for the area to have the fertile agricultural land that Abbotsford is known for today. Carlson states that “We need agriculture, but they did that without Matsqui consent. What was most troubling, was that the way they put the dikes, they bypassed the First Nations community. So when the flooding of the Fraser River happened, those dikes ended up protecting the white farmers’ property, but actually flooded the Matsqui peoples’ village site.

So it actually destroyed their lands in two ways.”

“When I think of us as settlers in this part of the world, and we try to think of how do we fit in, how do we create a respectful relationship with the Stó:lō people, I think we need to start with that idea of what is the legacy of what those settlers who came before us have done to create a relationship which is defined by consumption,” Carlson said. Abbotsford is known and loved for the fertile soil that creates an agricultural community, but many of us don’t think about the forces, sometimes unpleasant, that shaped the community into the place we see in the current day.

Part II: “Abbotsford” I also met up with Natalia Deros, a UFV alumni and programs manager at the Trethewey House in Abbotsford. The Trethewey House is a designated heritage home that is 101 years old this year. “[The Trethewey House] doesn’t just tell the stories of the Trethewey family, who were really significant to the history of Abbotsford, but also it tells a story of the beginning of Canada — or the beginning of B.C. The Tretheweys were a very major family in lumber production, and so was B.C. — the way it is now really comes from a lot of history of natural resource production,” said Deros.

However, part of this is also recognizing the land that the Trethewey House is built on — as with the rest of the city. “It is an old house on land that would have been Stó:lō land ... even telling that uncomfortable story I think is important too,” Deros said.

The homeless settler Though Indigenous people have lived on this land for centuries, the first Xwelitem to settle into Abbotsford was far from the typical image of a rich European explorer. “The first settler that we know of in downtown Abbotsford was a squatter named Mr. Freeman who lived in a tree trunk,” explained Deros. Though Mr. Freeman may have managed to get comfortable living in his tree trunk, it wouldn’t

last. Deros elaborated that John Maclure bought the land, which he thought was the perfect place to set up the Canadian Pacific Railway. Mr. Freeman didn’t give up without a fight, and managed to fight back using “squatter’s rights” for a year until MacClure paid him off with $100, according to Deros.

Deros mentioned that “It’s interesting because you can still see to this day the results of actions of certain people about 100, 150 years ago … I do find it interesting that the first settler in Abbotsford was technically a homeless person. There’s some irony there, in regards to that his tree was probably close to Jubilee Park where there have been a lot of discussions around homelessness and what to do.

And so, I think there’s an irony that our history has always been home for people who may choose to live in different ways — not that it’s always a choice.”

Integrated, but separated One of the things Deros noted sets Abbotsford apart was that “It was 13 or 14 villages that became one — many villages to city.” One of these notable villages was Clayburn, which Deros said was known as a company town and for its production of clay bricks. “Maybe because of all the little villages [with] different characteristics, but there are very strong communities in Abbotsford, I think. And with that comes some really great character and really awesome initiatives and a sense of identity and caring. But it still sometimes seems a little separate.”

Deros commented that another aspect that differentiates Abbotsford is the diversity. For example, the large South Asian population was partially “engineered” by Mr. Trethewey. “He brought in workers from Punjab specifically and had boarding houses ... From there on, they brought their families here.”

The increase in diversity coincided with when Abbotsford was beginning to become a bigger city. “[It’s] cool to think of Abbotsford being this kind of global representation,” said Deros.

Part III: The Present Both of the interviews touched on losses encountered because of the rapid progression Abbotsford is facing as a community. As Deros mentioned, artifacts like buildings can embody stories.

“I think that spaces that tell stories are really important. It gives an identity; it can tell a story of where our community started and where it went,” said Deros.

However, many of these buildings are being torn down as they are getting older — such as the recent decision to replace a longstanding historical tea house in downtown Abbotsford.

Why does history matter?

Carlson stated that history is not something solely for observing the past. “If we do history thoughtfully it should speak to contemporary issues and help to provide answers to contemporary problems.”

An example of this is Carlson’s work on the lynching of Louie Sam. Carlson was approached

by Stó:lō elders to help uncover part of an oral tradition about a tree in the Sumas community.

Carlson said “[It was] a big cedar tree — ancient, huge, gigantic cedar tree. And it was referred to by some of the elders as the ‘hanging tree,’ but the elders didn’t remember what was hanging there.”

This lead Carlson to the case of the lynching of Louie Sam — the only lynching, groundless killing by a mob to occur on Canadian soil in recorded history.

Louie Sam was 14 years old and came from a broken family. Carlson explained that an American was having an affair, and he murdered the husband of the woman he was meeting. Louie Sam was “a perfect target if you’re a really nasty person who’s trying to put blame on somebody else,” Carlson said. Louie Sam was arrested and held overnight until he could be sent to get a translator. However, the actual murderer didn’t want Louie Sam to be able to say that it wasn’t him. A group of men that knew the murder victim, James Bell, arranged for around 100 Americans to dress up as women and paint their faces in Coast Salish ceremonial paint.

Carlson explained, “They come across the border into Canada on Sumas Prairie — Whatcom Road area — and they take the boy away from the police, and then they lynch him on a tree, and they kill him.

And this [happened] in Canada.”

Because it was winter and the ground was frozen, the boy’s body was taken back to Sumas and wrapped in blankets to be hung in a tree (to avoid animals like coyotes). “So it was the hanging tree, but it wasn’t where he was lynched — it was where his body was kept until it was ready to be buried,” Carlson explained.

Due to the publicity Carlson’s research publication brought to the story, the Government of Washington State invited Stó:lō elders down to Olympia into the legislative building and issued a formal apology. Carlson states that “[The] Louie Sam story is one that I think kind of has that potential to be a tragic story that we can make something positive come out of it now for the present period.”

Moving Forward The region around Abbotsford has transformed dramatically over the course of time — eventually becoming a city where diverse people come together.

Many of the changes the city has faced may have come from forces that are not often recognized and discussed.

Carlson said that he has hope in the new generations, noting the absence of “built-in prejudices that were just common in my generation, which were even worse in my parents’ generation …

When I see the change over the past 30 years that I’ve been working here, there is a lot more dialogue, a lot more understanding.”

Carlson also mentioned that being on a university campus allows for the unique opportunity to look at problems in an interdisciplinary lens. “That demographic where you’re a student, you’re in this privileged spot where you get to take a history class in the morning and a chemistry class in the afternoon, or a business class and then a sociology class, where you’re actually seeing all these different ways of answering these questions and bringing them together in ways that the outside world isn’t explicitly doing,” Carlson said.

Abbotsford is made up of countless stories that cannot be found from a simple Google search.

If we could hear the stories of everyone that passed through this town, we would hear stories dramatically different from one another. Whether a resident or traveller, we should all learn about the footsteps laid out before us, and preserve the stories that are embedded in the land itself.

VOL. 28 // ISSUE 11

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020

CULTURE

culture@ufvcascade.ca Carissa Wiens — Culture Editor

Column //

Lifestyle //

Cascade Kitchen: Kitchen sink beans

Beans. March 24, 2020. (Mikaela Collins)

Soak your beans overnight in enough water to cover them by about two inches; use the pot you’ll The Cascade Kitchen is a student-run food cook them in. column that brings you budget-friendly 2. In the morning, add more water if recipes and cooking tips. Check back weekly your beans are no longer covered. for something new to try in the kitchen, or 3. Bring the beans to boil, skimming if you want to see your own recipe featured off the foam as the temperature next, get started by reaching out to culture@ comes up. ufvcascade.ca.

4. Peel and crush your garlic cloves, halve your onion, and give anyI love beans, especially creamy, flavourthing else you’re throwing in a ful beans that come with a thick, delismush or a chop to open them up. cious broth. This is my favourite pantry If you’re using fresh herbs, you can recipe, and it was the very first thing I bundle them to make them easy to made sure I had ingredients for when I fish out later. started self-isolating. Thankfully, there 5. Toss in a generous pinch of salt, are only two essentials: beans and fat. your garlic, your produce, and as The rest of this dish is made by throwmuch seasoning as you can add ing in everything including the kitchen in good conscience. Beans don’t sink. It’s a little bit different every time, have a lot of flavour, so this is your but it’s always good — so good I have chance to make them actually taste literally scooped it off The Cascade oflike something. Don’t waste it. fice floor and eaten it in front of all my 6. This is the most important step: coworkers — and that was when you add your cooking fat until there’s could still get groceries. an inch of fat floating on top of your water. If that’s more fat than Ingredients: you want to leave in your broth, you can freeze it after straining 1.5 cups of your favourite dry bean (I your beans out; scrape the hard recommend white navy beans or lima fat off the broth and use it as a seabeans) soned cooking oil. This amount of A lot of cooking fat (I like to mix olfat is necessary to make the beans ive oil and sesame oil, but animal fats smooth and creamy inside rather like from bacon or beef drippings work than dry and gritty. great) 7. Reduce heat to low and just barely Spices (whatever you’ve got; I like dried simmer until delicious, tasting and basil, cayenne pepper, tarragon, and re-seasoning frequently. cumin) Garlic, to taste These beans come out pretty oily, so I Onion, to taste usually make a big pot of rice and mix Any flavourful produce that’s on its the two so the rice absorbs the excess oil way out (tomatoes, lemons, fresh herbs and seasoning. It’s also good to brighten — you name it) up the flavour with a bit of lime or lemon juice, or even vinegar. Serve it with Method: sour cream and crisp-fried mushrooms, if you can find such luxuries.

MIKAELA COLLINS

10

1.

Let’s get ripped Your guide to movement in self-isolation ANDREA SADOWSKI I cannot stress enough to students the importance of exercise, especially in times of great anxiety and turmoil. The semester of Fall 2019 was my hardest semester to date; I was balancing five courses, two part-time jobs, and went through the most gut-wrenching, soul-crushing, drawn-out break-up of my life. The only reason I did not go completely insane that semester was my membership at a local hot yoga studio.

I forced myself to take an hour out of every day to attend a fitness class and sweat out all of my anxiety.

Exercise reduces stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, as well as increases your “happy” hormones like endorphins. Incorporating exercise into your everyday routine during this period of self-isolation and social distancing can do wonders for your mind and body. If you’re anything like me, a lot of time at home means a lot of snacks, which is why a little extra exercise certainly cannot hurt. Gyms and hot yoga studios may be closed, but there are plenty of other ways to tone your body and calm your mind in your little quarantine bubble.

Yoga with Adriene is my number one, go-to channel for at-home yoga videos.

She modifies her videos to be fully accessible for every level, so whether it’s your first time on the mat, or you’re a certified pro, you will love her style of teaching. Her channel has hundreds of videos to choose from: anything from ab workouts, breathing exercises, deep stretching, or 30-day challenges.

Many fitness instructors are regularly live-streaming fitness classes as their studio classes have been cancelled until further notice. A few of my favourite instructors who are streaming through Zoom or Instagram Live almost daily are Daniela Dib, a Vancouver Soulcycle instructor; Audrey Ann, a yoga instructor from Los Angeles; and Melissa Alcantara, Kim Kardashian’s personal trainer.

Instagram has a wealth of work-out knowledge from countless personal trainers who post full body-weight exercise moves and routines that can be easily done at home. Check out Elise Young, Emily Samuel, Whitney Simmons, and Louisa Burke who post new videos almost daily.

There are a plethora of free fitness apps that hold you accountable and make working out so much easier, such as FitBod, an app with hundreds of personalized at-home workout routines; C25K, an app perfect for anyone who wants to start running; and My Training, which allows you to create a training calendar and even connects you with a community to join you in your fitness journey. Additionally, Down Dog, a very popular fitness app featuring yoga, HIIT (high-intensity interval training), and barre videos, will be free until April 1.

If you are not in full-on quarantine due to having recently returned from international travel or having been directly exposed to someone who has a confirmed case of coronavirus, you are still able to go for runs and walks in areas that are not heavily populated, as long as you maintain a distance of at least six feet from other people. Check out some local hikes in your area using Vancouver Trails, a directory of hiking trails throughout Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, or the AllTrails app. Or you can simply go for a run in your own neighbourhood. Use Adidas’ running app Runtastic or RunKeeper to track your progress. If you don’t want to leave your house at all, but still want to go for a run, you can follow the example of Elisha Nochomovitz, a French man who ran the equivalent of a marathon on his apartment balcony.

With an abundance of self-isolationfriendly exercise resources, we can all become ripped by the end of this dumpsterfire of a situation. By the time you’re able to interact with other humans again, you’ll be able to show off your newly-found muscles and flexibility to all your friends. So start sweating!

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020

VOL. 28 // ISSUE 11

CULTURE Lifestyle //

Alone, but together How to maintain social connections, even when distant NICHOLAS ASHENHURSTTOEWS As of Monday, March 16, UFV and many other universities are recognizing the COVID-19 outbreak as a serious public health issue. Globally, people have taken to selfisolation and social distancing as a way to lessen the spread of the disease. Many, including myself and my family, have found this a necessary precaution; however, many also find this self-isolation to be a very lonely process. I’ve found a few ways to combat the loneliness I often find myself in after even a few days of not interacting with people.

If you’re feeling lost without social in-

teraction and live alone, I highly recommend calling a friend or family member and chatting with them for a while. Even just keeping up consistent messaging conversations via text or group chat if you’re talking with multiple people can keep you from feeling fully isolated. Why not choose a movie or show on Netflix and do a comedic commentary track between the two of you. It gets your mind off of current events, and you can stop procrastinating on watching Shaun of the Dead. If you prefer to see your conversation buddy, apps that support video calling will be a lifesaver.

If you don’t live alone, try engaging your housemates in conversation. Board games, multiplayer video games, and puzzles are ways to get you working together or com-

peting against one another. Puzzles in particular offer a low-stakes co-operative environment to allow you and your friends or family to join together and work toward a common goal. Put on something in the background (I recommend stand-up comedy), or have conversations and watch the beautiful piece of art take shape.

If all else fails, the internet is a thing.

Many people globally are starting to feel the effects of social isolation and have taken to livestreaming as a way to get social interaction. John Green put out a video on March 17 entitled “together.” where he talks about how he has been dealing with social distancing. He mentions that his brother, Hank Green, has been streaming Stardew Valley, a farm simulation game, on

Twitch, which John and his children have enjoyed watching. John also mentions that he and his wife will be hosting regular live streams both on the Vlogbrothers YouTube channel, as well as The Art Assignment channel where they “drink only a little wine and make only a little art.”

We must try and make it through this tough time. We must take the necessary actions in order to prevent and combat what is likely the first global pandemic many of us are seeing in our lifetime to reach this level of widespread panic . This may take the form of staying physically distant from one another, but that does not mean that we are alone in this.

Community Event //

When the concerts are cancelled These artists are changing the status quo of concerts CARISSA WIENS The Jonas Brothers are most likely still going to be financially stable even though their Vegas Residency is now cancelled due to COVID-19. But other, lesser-known artists rely solely on the revenue from their live performances and merchandise sales to pay the bills. With events being cancelled left and right because of the virus, many performers find themselves out of work, and therefore out of an income. On top of that, many musicians simply want to perform and share their music with the public.

Dan Mangan, a Vancouver musician, cofounded Side Door to help with this problem. Side Door is a website that benefits performing artists, “hosts” (meaning the people that have venues such as a bookstore or a backyard that can host small performances), and audience members. Hosts post on the website about their venue, then artists who are wanting to perform somewhere can contact the host about booking a

show there. From there the public are able to purchase tickets to locations near them and gain access to intimate shows for a reasonable price. The host and performers can negotiate 90 per cent of the ticket sales between themselves while Side Door collects 10 per cent to keep their services going.

Since gatherings are discouraged during this time, Mangan has been performing his music every Saturday afternoon (since March 21 until further notice) at 12 p.m.

PST from his basement, but instead of inviting an audience over, he is live streaming it over Side Door and charging only $6 per viewing. Of course performers are able to use their earnings how they please, but Mangan is using the money to donate to a local charity. On March 21, $1265.48 for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank was raised through one of Mangan’s online performances.

Locals Lounge, a monthly event in Vancouver that brings together emerging artists with the local community, is also partaking in the #Quarantunes performances through Side Doors and live-streaming a

The Cascade is

HIRING Graphic Designer a

show for $6 on March 26 featuring Local Lounge’s host and musician, Ian Cromwell. This allows the public to still enjoy live, intimate performances from the comfort of their own home while discovering a new artist.

Not all artists are using Side Door to reach fellow isolators through their music.

Ben Gibbard, front man of Death Cab for Cutie, is performing every afternoon at 4 p.m. PST through YouTube and Facebook.

Gibbard is not charging anyone to watch

but chose to stream these performances to encourage everyone that we are not alone in this pandemic. He also takes song requests.

These artists are taking matters into their own hands, providing joy and even financial support to those that need it in these uncertain times. So as we sit at home completing final papers, take a quick break and tune into a concert via livestream to boost your mood and maybe even support someone in need.

we’re hiring a

Production Assistant

Send inquiries and applications to managing@ufvcascade.ca

11

VOL. 28 // ISSUE 11

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020

CULTURE UFV //

When flights get cancelled and the world is turned inside-out Getting home in the midst of a global pandemic ANDREA SADOWSKI This week was bonkers, especially for all those who are not currently in their home country. I arrived in India on Jan. 4 to do my global development studies internship. The news broke about the coronavirus in China just a few days later, but it wasn’t until it became a global pandemic that the university started getting concerned and the talk of coming home early began. After my internship I was planning on doing some backpacking to explore more of this fascinating country, as well as complete my yoga teacher training in Rishikesh, the very birthplace of yoga.

My return flight was booked for May 26, and I had zero plans of coming home before then, pandemic or not. Besides, India had very few coronavirus cases, which is surprising considering their close proximity to China and the poor hygienic conditions in many areas. How little India seemed to care about the virus was shocking; it was life as normal here.

The CEO of the nonprofit organization I was working for even told me not to worry because “India has many gods protecting her.”

However, the situation escalated far more rapidly than I ever expected. To help control the rapid spread of the virus, the government imposed a temporary ban on

SPORTS

all tourist visas. This didn’t affect me too much, as I was already in the country — I even thought the situation could work in my favour, as busy tourist spots would be empty, and I could explore them in peace. Obviously, India’s nonchalant attitude about this virus had rubbed off on me, and I wasn’t taking it seriously in any way.

It wasn’t until a member of my own family became sick that I realized maybe this virus was a pretty serious issue after all, and I better just be safe and hop on home.

My friends and family urged me every day to return because it was not a matter of if but when the pandemic would hit India, and surely hit it hard, considering its high population density. Also, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was strongly urging all Canadians to return home as soon as possible, as Canada would soon be imposing its own travel restrictions and commercial air travel options would become increasingly limited.

Thus began the challenge of trying to reschedule my flight home. I was on hold with my booking agent for hours, as travel agents and airlines were overwhelmed by the sheer volume of people trying to change their travel plans. I cut my losses and just booked a whole new ticket home for Tuesday, March 24.

I felt confident in my decision, and at peace with the situation. Until I woke up

from a nap on Friday, March 20 to half a dozen notifications of people informing me of a new travel ban the Indian prime minister had just announced — there would be no incoming international flights into India from March 22 until March 29. I phoned my airline in a panic sweat, and after hours on hold, a surely under-paid and overworked representative told me this travel ban would not affect outbound flights, just incoming, so I had nothing to worry about.

The next day I went about my business, took a leisurely stroll to the market to pick up a few things, and when I came home I decided on a whim to check the status of my flight home, just in case. It was cancelled. Nearly all flights were cancelled because of this newly imposed travel ban.

Either I leave immediately, or I stay in India indefinitely.

I booked the most spur-of-the-moment plane ticket of my life to leave the country in a short five hours. I shoved all my clothes in my backpack, quickly booked a domestic flight to the capital of Delhi, where I would be leaving from, sent some goodbye messages on WhatsApp to my dear friends in India I never got the chance to say goodbye to in person and got the heck out of there.

I’m writing this piece in a nearly empty airport in Hong Kong, waiting for my flight back to Vancouver. I am grateful

to have a country with such a reliable healthcare system to go home to, but am also scared of what awaits me, as I’ve been told the situation in Canada is only getting worse and hospitals have started to run out of room.

My internship was cut short because of an unprecedented situation completely out of anyone’s control. I keep telling myself it could be worse. I have friends whose cancelled school trips and internships means delaying their graduation date, as well as international students who are in the same boat as me, scrambling to get home. Not to mention the uncertainty that international students at Fraser Valley India, UFV’s sister university in Chandigarh, feel on whether or not they will be able to transfer to Canada in the fall.

Right now, these travel restrictions just seem annoying and inconvenient, pushing back plans and readjusting schedules; however, we can’t yet predict the effects these travel bans will have on universities in the long term. The university’s growing reliance upon international students’ high tuition fees could have an effect on less-profitable departments if the government doesn’t assist post-secondary institutions and students in some way in light of this crisis.

However, I’ll worry about all that after my 14-day quarantine at my mom’s house.

sports@ufvcascade.ca Alex Jesus — Sports Editor

UFV //

Athletic closures come to UFV UFV announced baseball, campus recreation are shut down ALEX JESUS For now, like the rest of the sports world, UFV Athletics has put itself on hold so that it might aid in slowing the spread of COVID-19. The university announced on Monday, March 16 a series of changes that altered both their athletic teams and their campus recreation facilities. The changes dramatically impacted nearly all aspects of the Cascades’ operations, from their varsity programs all the way down to conference meetings and youth teams.

For students, the shutdown of campus recreational facilities is significant. The athletic department’s official statement reads: “As of 4 p.m. on Monday, March 16, all UFV gymnasiums and fitness facilities (Building E on the Abbotsford campus,

12

Building Q on the Chilliwack campus) are closed until further notice.”

This leaves athletes and students living on campus without resources for staying active through quarantines; however, the message from UFV Athletics and Campus Recreation is that the shutdowns are “in alignment with directives issued by the federal and provincial governments, UFV, U SPORTS, Canada West, and provincial sport organizations.”

Apart from this, various aspects of the Cascades’ varsity programs have been affected. The most recent and serious of these was the decision by the CCBC (the league that UFV baseball plays for) to cancel the spring season outright on March 17. This marks the first full-season cancellation for UFV due to the spread of COVID-19. Talks are ongoing regarding a

potential CCBC fall season being played as opposed to the spring season; however, nothing has been confirmed.

UFV also announced in-person recruiting would be suspended for three weeks.

This could have profound implications for any programs that have yet to complete their recruitment for the 2020-21 season, as recruiting often serves as a university’s biggest tool to recreate their rosters from season to season.

The COVID-19 pandemic renders concerns for UFV this summer, as sports such as soccer and basketball are usually active throughout the months of August and September. The university has not confirmed whether sports which are set to begin after baseball will be affected or not. Other sports likely will be though, if restrictions and closures persist into July

and August. The summer months are busy for UFV Athletics, as many teams begin preliminary training camps.

As of now, UFV has suspended practices indefinitely, meaning that the teams are not assembling in person for workouts or training. For many teams, this isn’t so much of a concern at this point in the year.

However, if the ban persists, teams could be severely impacted by a lack of familiarity with each other and a lack of practice for the season The global crisis that is COVID-19 continues to ravage university sports in Canada, and UFV will have to wait until new information allows them to proceed into the 2020-21 sports season. For now the changes are inconsequential for some of the teams, but that could change heading toward the summer.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020

VOL. 28 // ISSUE 11

SPORTS Basketball //

UFV women’s basketball in review Although the Cascades started off slow, they quickly became a top contender

NIC JACKSON This season was an exceptional year for the women’s basketball team at UFV, despite their season ending earlier than they would have liked.

While the Cascades had a decent preseason, going 4-3, they started their regular season with two losses in a row. Their first weekend of the season was on the road at the University of Winnipeg. There, the Cascades lost to the Wesmen in two consecutive games, with scores of 77-62 and 77-72.

Luckily for the Cascades, their next four games were at home, where they were able to go 2-0 against both the University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO) Heat and the University of Lethbridge Horns. Closing out the first stretch of the season was their second road trip, where they shared wins with the University of Manitoba Bisons. The first game in the series against Manitoba saw the Cascades lose 78-63; however, the next day they bounced back and won 76-65, bringing their record to 5-3 going into the December hiatus.

When the season continued for the Cascades on Jan. 3, they just narrowly lost to the University of British Columbia (UBC)

Thunderbirds, 76-74. Although the Cascades lost the first game of the series, this marked the last game they would lose in the regular season. The Cascades faced off against UBC the following night and won, 77-62.

The rest of the schedule saw the Cascades face off against the University of Northern British Columbia (UBCO), Trinity Western University (TWU), Mount Royal University (MRU), Thompson Rivers University (TRU), and the University of Regina. Each team the Cascades played twice, and each game saw the Cascades come out with the win. By the end of the regular season, the Cascades held fifth place in the Canada West conference, with a record of 16-4.

With momentum on their side, the Cascades entered the playoffs with confidence. The Cascades started the playoffs with a sudden elimination round against the TRU Wolfpack. Much like the two previous games against TRU, the Cascades dominated their opponent. By the time the game had ended, the Cascades won by 22 points, 76-54.

In the next round of playoffs, the Cascades again were in a sudden elimination match, this time against the University of Alberta. During the regular season, Alberta and UFV held the same record but

Taylor Claggett. Oct. 19, 2020. (UFV Athletics)

never had a chance to play each other.

With everything on the line, the Cascades were unable to perform similar to the rest of their season, scoring fewer points than any other game they had played so far, losing 64-48.

Although the season ended early for the Cascades, there is much to appreciate,

like the 12-game winning streak and Taylor Claggett grabbing the UFV’s all-time leading scorer title. Although Claggett will not be returning due to aging out after playing her fifth season in the league, next year for the Cascades looks promising.

Youth Sports //

How COVID-19 will affect young athletes With youth sports now on hold, some young athletes may lose critical athletic opportunities NIC JACKSON COVID-19 is a disease that has spread throughout the world, causing many countries and cities to go on lockdown.

When it first began to spread throughout North America, major sports organizations, such as the NHL, MLB, NBA, Nascar, and the PGA Tour all postponed their seasons. Many people gather to watch these events live, so shutting their doors was a way of promoting social distancing.

Since then, many community centres, college sports leagues, and youth sports associations have put their seasons on hold for the foreseeable future. Baseball B.C. issued a statement on March 17, suspending all play province wide. For the

health and safety of everyone, measures like this are the right move; however, the suspension of many youth sports seasons, and possible cancellations, could have a lasting repercussion for some young athletes.

While the effects on younger youth athletes are minimal when it pertains to their sports careers, as the age increases, the athletes are more and more affected by the outbreak. If we look at a five-yearold child playing T-ball when their season gets cancelled, not much will change when it is time for them to start ball next year. This is because children are still in the early development stages of their time with the sport. For someone in their senior year of high school, however, this season could be the difference between getting a

scholarship in the NCAA for baseball or playing community slo-pitch next spring.

Most universities in the NCAA are in the U.S. The cost of going to university in the U.S., however, averages $99,417 USD for a degree. On top of that, many students take out loans, which means they will be paying interest on top of that cost when they finish their studies. While the season for B.C. baseball has been put on suspension, this could lead to a cancellation if the current situation does not get better. One more season means one last attempt for talented players to get recognized by the university scouts. With COVID-19’s spread throughout the continent, many players that could have gotten their tuition paid for, or at least partly paid for, are now being told that they will not

be given the opportunity to show their worth as a player.

With the coronavirus now sweeping through the continent, all our focus as a collective should be on how we can “flatten the curve” so that our healthcare and economy do not collapse. Although I am focusing on the repercussions of shutting down youth sports, I am by no means telling anyone youth sports should still be going on; in fact, I am at home now, instead of getting ready for my slo-pitch season. I believe Canada has begun making the decisions they need to keep their people alive. It is just unfortunate that this may mean a negative outcome for certain individuals that have spent thousands of hours chasing their dreams.

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020

ARTS ARTS

VOL. 28 // ISSUE 11

arts@ufvcascade.ca Chandy Dancey — Arts Editor

YouTube //

CHARTS

SHUFFLE

1 Tops

PRODUCTION GANG

2 Hannah Georgas

CIVL Station Manager Aaron Levy has vanished. We suspect via plank walking, but the investigation is ongoing. In honour of his nautical demise, we present a humbly suggested list of sea shanties, to be listened to while contemplating his memory.

Colder and Closer (Single) That Emotion (Single)

3 Mike Aube

Together (Single

4 Dixie Alley 719

Taking on capitalism and eldritch beasts

Black Friday does it one song at a time

FLOTSAM AND JETSAM

Alestorm - “Keelhauled”

A second possible option of death is by keelhauling, a far The Clock more painful and dramatic end to the life of the station manNakeem Grace ager, but only if he were a traiWish I Would've Known tor in the pirates' midst, which would be a truth most dire.

(Single)

5 MEF Muse 6

7 SOPHIST

Betrothal to the Stone: Stan Rogers - “Barrett’s Privateers” Conception of Mephisto

8 9

“God damn them all! I was Uh oh and the Oh told / We'd cruise the seas for Wells American gold / We'd fire no Uh Oh and the Oh Wells guns, shed no tears.” And yet here we weep in memory of Dwane Dixon the CIVIL Station Manager, the Betting on a Gambling third to be lost at sea in these Man tragic times.

10 Lucky Peterson

The Mechanisms - “Pump Shanty”

11 L'Homme Absurde

16 Lié

You know what’s better than a sea shanty? A space shanty.

Yes, you’re reading that correctly, and yes, this is a thing that exists. From the ingenious band that brought you concept albums such as “Arthurian legend but Arthur, Guinevere, and Lancelot are in a polyamourous relationship and also cowboys (in space)” and “Norse gods but it’s a train whoddunit (in space),” have a space shanty, to remember Aaron by. Perhaps he was lost to the stars instead, in a death just as painful and dramatic as traditional keelhauling.

17 The End A.D.

A. L. Lloyd - “Doodle Let Me Go”

50 Just Warming Up Belong

12 Johnny Burgin

Johnny Burgin Live

13 Caribou Suddenly

14 Rich Aucoin The Other

15 Jessica Towler

On My Own (Single) You Want It Real Badlands

18 Andy Shauf

Neon Skyline

19 Moonshine Society Sweet Thing

20 Commando

Love Songs #1 (Total Destruction, Mass Executions)

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Perhaps Aaron isn’t dead, but simply in the Lovecraftian thrall of a spooky lighthouse, stranded on an isolated island with Willem Dafoe and an angry, one-eyed seagull. We’ve found Aaron in stranger places.

CHANDY DANCEY Black Friday is a dark comedy musical released late February on YouTube by Team StarKid. It explores the perils of capitalism, a system which has helped to bring an eldritch monster to Earth in the form of a children’s toy in time for Black Friday. This innocent-seeming toy is one that’s capable of manipulating adults to do its bidding, threatening to tear the town of Hatchetfield, and the world at large, apart.

With this musical Team StarKid is celebrating their 10year anniversary of producing musical comedies for the YouTube platform, all free of charge and widely accessible. While they started with A Very Potter Musical, they’ve expanded since then to original storylines outside of any fandom. What’s incredible is how far they’ve come. As a production company, audiences have gotten the chance to watch them grow to now offer crisp video quality, production rights, and DVDs of their performances.

Not a fan of musicals? Surprisingly, there’s a musical for that too by StarKid. Black Friday takes place in a similar but alternate universe to a previous work entitled The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals. This predecessor focuses entirely on a protagonist who (surprise, surprise!) genuinely dislikes musicals. Ironically, a meteor strikes Earth, bringing with it an alien life form able to infect humans and cause them to erupt into song and synchronised dance — oh, the horror! This related musical isn’t necessary at all to

enjoy Black Friday, although it does bring to light some inside jokes, references, and returning characters that the creators snuck into their newest piece.

In fact, after watching them back to back, this previous musical was far more cohesive than Black Friday. While it’s thoroughly entertaining with its Stranger Things themes, adult humour, and catchy songs, Black Friday also lacks much of the character development seen in The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals. Instead of focusing on a central protagonist, it chooses to jump between groups of survivors without lingering on one.

Because of this, audiences have little time to feel invested in the characters, especially when they start dying off. Actors also play more than one character, making it hard to keep track of who’s who at any given time.

The last qualm with this honestly funny and very high-production musical, is that many questions are left unanswered.

Who’s the man who seems to be producing these toys? Who’s Webby, a character’s imaginary friend from the same realm as the eldritch monster? There’s nothing to suggest a second part to Black Friday will be made, but by the end audiences have more questions than answers.

While Black Friday is a lighthearted sci-fi musical, its jabs at capitalism have never been more relevant. Amid the COVID-19 crisis, essentials like toilet paper, disinfecting alcohol, and certain medications are becoming alarmingly scarce. The pandemic has instilled fear into the masses that has resulted in hoarding and shortages. While buyers are urged to stay out of

stores, major corporations are pushing lower delivery fees and free shipping under the guise of concern for public health.

Personally, what it feels like they’re trying to do is salvage their sales now that foot traffic is slowing to a standstill, meanwhile laughing their way to the bank with the profit they’re making off the crisis.

Black Friday shows this insidious side of the markets under different but related circumstances. As one character puts it in the musical: “Swamped in student debt, credit card debt, medical bills, the people have been abandoned by everything!

Everything except products.”

During a time of global emergency, many citizens are under immense stress worrying about their livelihoods and the health of themselves and their loved ones. Critique is already rolling out that self-isolation is resulting in panic-induced retail therapy that gives buyers a false sense of control during these uncertain times. Black Friday doesn’t overly emphasize the stressful aspects of these themes, but it definitely questions them while sprinkling in jokes to lighten the mood.

Team StarKid has been putting out consistently hilarious musicals since the rise of the YouTube platform, and Black Friday is no exception. It’s a musical that touches upon the grip of capitalism on our society while also entertaining viewers with bursts of humour. It might not have all the answers to its plotrelated questions, but it’s one hell of a distraction when Fridays prove black and COVID-19 shuts down the world.

VOL. 28 // ISSUE 11

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020

ARTS Book //

The reality between the walls A fantastical journey that’s confusing as all hell NADIA TUDHOPE Reading C. J. Lavigne’s debut novel, In Veritas, feels like continuously stumbling from missing a stair. It’s difficult to tell where magic ends and metaphor begins, and this is symptomatic of the way the style of the novel dominates its telling.

It takes a while, wading through the murky way this story is told, to get to the actual conflict: In the world of In Veritas, those with magic have been relegated to The Between — safe pockets in the walls, accessible only through (confusing) magic doors that only open one way. These people were not made to survive in our world: technology’s existence makes them ill, and they are unable to use it. Even riding the bus makes them sick, if they can handle it at all. The protagonist, Verity, is herself between these two worlds: she can live in our world unlike others who belong to The Between, but she also sees things that don’t belong to our world. Her synesthesia makes existing here too loud.

Those of The Between are a dying breed; there are less and less of them each century, and their magic grows weaker. As their magic swells for a final time, they can either make an attempt to escape our reality into one made for them — an apocalyptic act which has only ever had one failed attempt — or they can fight back against a magicless people whose way of seeing the world dominates and who vastly outnumber them.

Our narrator is not our protagonist — as we are told from the first line: “I am writing this for Verity because she cannot write it for herself.”

Chapters often begin with an aside by the narrator (helpfully styled in italics) which, while enjoyable to read, often don’t feel timed right or have no purpose being styled this way rather than being inserted directly into the narrative.

Those narratorial asides that are relevant are made more confusing by the fact that they are asides: it makes you question if the “she” and “he” subjects are indeed Verity and her ostensible boyfriend/ roommate/best friend Jacob, in a way that adds needless confusion to a story which is already designed to leave you floundering.

The narrator’s identity remains secret throughout the novel, and while this is a trope that can be done well (I’m thinking Less by Andrew Sean Greer), it adds nothing to a story that has already been made over-complicated.

The novel is told in an obtuse, multimedia style, and

it’s unclear why this is. Chapters often end in quotes or image descriptions, and can begin with news articles that have little or no effect on the plot. (I could not possibly tell you what an outbreak of mad cow disease had to do with the events of the novel, save for a throwaway line that could be easily cut.)

In Veritas, much like Verity’s reality, is defined by ambiguity and overstimulation. The novel is bogged down by description, but also leaves much under-explained. It moves the plot quickly at first, leaving you reeling as you try to adjust to Verity’s world and sift through what is and is not happening, and then drags on while giving you few answers, or giving you answers you’re not sure you can trust.

As its title and protagonist’s name suggest, In Veritas is fixated on truth, and it is determined to show you how murky it can be.

While the style the novel is written in is interesting, albeit difficult to follow, it is also the make-or-break element of In Veritas. It’s overwhelming, but Verity’s strange way of seeing the world feels like the correct way to tell this story. For a story about those struggling to exist in a world that cannot see them, whose gaze and language limits and alters, using dreamlike and distorted description with words that will never be quite right is the only way to tell it.

The Cascade received a free advanced reader copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. In Veritas will be released for sale on May 1.

Rewind //

An old school death metal “plaguelist” DARIEN JOHNSEN With everyone all in a dither over the COVID-19 situation, I’ve been trying to keep things lighter for myself and my two pet rabbits as we quarantine ourselves in my small secondfloor bedroom. With not much else to do, I decided to put together a death metal “plaguelist” featuring death metal songs with sickly song titles (not very hard to do for this genre). Since old-school death metal is my goto, I decided to share some of my favourite titles here. I had to leave out anything after 2000, so forgive me for missing some postY2K classics.

First up is “Plague Rages” by Napalm D e a t h .

Napalm Death is one of the most c a t c h y death metal bands I know while still holding on to an awesome technical sound. This track is upbeat and awesome to thrash around in a quarantined room to.

Next is one of my favourite tracks: Morbid Angel’s “Angel of Disease.” Morbid Angel is a great band due mostly to their catchiness and their fast, brutal vocals which have an almost rap-like flow to them. Another thing I love about them is the creativity of their lyrics, often resembling epic lore. Other great tracks from them that would suit this playlist are “Lord Of All Fevers & Plague” and “Blessed Are the Sick/Leading the Rats.”

Of course it wouldn’t be a complete old-school death metal plaguelist without Mortician.

They are a super spooky death metal band with a chunky, crunchy — referring to a uniquely staticky guitar sound — and guttural vocals that might give you mild nightmares (or remind you of your grandfather's postdinner belches, I don’t know).

Their track “Apocalyptic Devastation” starts off with a creepy monologue: “Their world crumbled / cities exploded / a whirlwind of looting / a firestorm of fear / men began to feed on men. / On the roads it was a whiteline nightmare. / Only those mobile enough to scavenge, brutal enough to pillage would survive. / The gangs took over the highways / ready to wage war for a tank of juice / And in this maelstrom of de c ay, o r d i nary men were battered and smashed.”

T h e n we have Deic ide’s “Dead by Dawn,” which is a fast-paced, heavy song. The vocals are layered, featuring low growls and a scratchy, high-pitched scream that sounds like an evil goblin writhing in pain. The technicality of guitar and morbid vocals make this a diverse and engaging gem of the metal world.

I’ll end with tracks from Brutality’s Screams of Anguish album.

Their song “Septicemic Plague” boasts the most fitting title for this list, but “These Walls Shall Be Your Grave” has lyrics that are pretty well suited for our quarantined situation: “Surrounded by walls of labyrinth / Trapped inside with no escape,” which is what my bedroom is starting to feel like.

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STUDY BREAK Crossword //

Made by Carissa Wiens

ACROSS

DOWN

1. A garment similar to a shawl, often sleeveless.

2. A quick midday slumber.

3. New canned alcoholic beverage, called “White _ _ _ _.”

5. A classic American clothing brand for everyone in the family.

6. A hollow Middle Eastern bread.

3. Climb a bunch of stairs to tone this part of your body.

4. This part of the body is easily sprained.

5. Kenny Rogers sang about knowing “when to hold ‘em” in the song “The _ _ _ _ _ _ _.”

7. Enjoyable and freeing.

8. A movement with shoulders when you don’t really care.

9. A resting place for a wild animal that is hidden.

10. This American mid-western state is often known for its corn and state fairs.

12. Your aunt’s husband.

11. The fifth book in the Holy Bible’s New Testament.

13. This part of a chicken is often purchased by the pound at restaurants.

LAST ISSUE’S

ANSWERS: Across: 4. RSVP 5. Hero 6. Bilbo 8. Trip 9. Kindness 13. Ale 14. Waltz

Horoscopes //

Down: 1. Cashback 2. Group 3. Alto 5. Haters 7. Bald 10. Idle 11. Earl 12. Salt

Your weekly life predictions as told by Ang the Great

Aries — Mar 21 to Apr 19 You are constantly thinking outside the box and pushing all boundaries of normalcy.

Influence others to follow your lead this week, as the lives of those around you are stagnant and need a breath of fresh air.

Taurus — Apr 20 to May 20 You are going through a tough time right now and that’s okay. Reach out to a mentor or a trusted friend to talk you through issues that you are unable to work through on your own.

With time, this situation will pass and you will heal.

Gemini — May 21 to Jun 20 It is time to come forward and take the credit that is due to you. Don’t let your hard work go unnoticed in the shadows any longer. You deserve so much more than what has been given to you, so stand up for yourself and claim it!

Cancer —Jun 21 to Jul 22 You will experience a crushing defeat this week. Don’t spend your days analyzing the situation to death, picking apart and scrutinizing each moment. Let it pass with grace.

Leo — Jul 23 to Aug 22 Resist your desire to pick a pointless fight this week with your partner. Handle your boredom in less self-destructive ways, perhaps by taking up a new hobby.

Virgo —Aug 23 to Sep 22 Someone from your past will step back into your life this week, and this unexpected encounter will hit you with a wave of sweet nostalgia, causing your emotions to trump all logic. Be careful not to do anything you may regret later.

Libra — Sep 23 to Oct 22 This pesky little pandemic may have caused a massive disruption in some upcoming travel plans you were looking forward to. However, don’t let this get you down — use this time to learn a new language to be even better prepared for a future journey.

Scorpio — Oct 23 to Nov 21 You will get a random burst of energy this week that will allow you to do something extremely productive, like clean your house from top-to-bottom or finally finish that research paper that is due in a few days. Put this energy to good use.

Sagittarius — Nov 22 to Dec 21 Things might get a bit rocky with your partner this week, but be patient with one another.

Don’t let emotions get the best of you and be sure to listen to their side of the story. At the end of the day, everything will work out fine.

Capricorn — Dec 22 to Jan 19 You may find your emotions spiraling out of control this week from the stress of this crazy season, and you do not handle stress very well. Be sure to take care of yourself this week, and do things that bring you joy.

Aquarius — Jan 20 to Feb 18 Dedicate yourself completely to getting your to-do list done and ending your semester on a strong note. Try hopping off Netflix for a while to check off some of those urgent tasks.

Pisces — Feb 19 to Mar 20 Dedicate yourself completely to getting your to-do list done and ending your semester on a strong note. Try hopping off Netflix for a while to check off some of those urgent tasks.