FEBRUARY 9, 2022
VOLUME 30 ISSUE 03
Trying to get the paper done before midnight so we don’t disappoint Neil at Prepress since 1993
Sliding in Beijing 10
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CONCERN OVER UFV’S COVID-19 SAFETY MEASURES
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CELEBRATE OLYMPIANS WHILE SHUNNING CHINA
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SHERI-D WILSON WRITER IN RESIDENCE
VOL. 30 // ISSUE 03
Copy Editor Maecyn Klassen maecyn@ufvcascade.ca
News Editor Rachel Tait rachel@ufvcascade.ca
Features Editor Andrea Sadowski andrea@ufvcascade.ca
Digital Media Manager Jeff Mijo-Burch jeff@ufvcascade.ca Photographer Laura Ayres Production Assistant Aayush Bhatia Staff Writer Priya Ghuman Staff Writer Allison Holcik Staff Writer Anisa Quintyne
Sports Editor Teryn Midzain teryn@ufvcascade.ca Arts in Review Editor Danaye Reinhardt Danaye@ufvcascade.ca Production Assistant Niusha Naderi Illustrator Iryna Presley
Distributor Gurtaj Dhami
CONTRIBUTORS Caleb Campbell Chandy Dancey
WWW.UFVCASCADE.CA
@UFVCASCADE FACEBOOK.COM/UFVCASCADE INSTAGRAM.COM/UFVCASCADE Volume 30 · Issue 03 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 other 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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Illustrator Brielle Quon
The Shuffler Aaron Levy
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Opinion Editor Kait Thompson kait@ufvcascade.ca
ARTS
Culture & Events Editor Steve Hartwig steve@ufvcascade.ca
OPINION
Production Manager Elyssa English elyssa@ufvcascade.ca
NEWS
Creative Director Elyssa English elyssa@ufvcascade.ca
CONTENTS
FEATURE
Business Manager Tarini Sandhu tarini@ufvcascade.ca
Managing Editor Sydney Marchand sydney@ufvcascade.ca
CULTURE
Executive Editor Andrea Sadowski andrea@ufvcascade.ca
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14 Snapshots.......9
17.......Study Break
NEWS 4...... SUS Impact plan
Back to campus......3
5...... COVID-19 concerns
Professor Profile......5
OPINION Editorial.......6
6.......The Conscious Consumer 8...... Serious about self care
Sex and Relationships.......7 Trends in podcasts.......8
CULTURE 14....... Campus fashion
Cascade Kitchen......14
15....... Sheri-D Wilson’s journey
Martial arts and wellbeing.......15
SPORTS 16.......Cincinnati Cinderella Chronicle
Cascades recap......16
ARTS Dont Look Up......18
19......Frankenstein’s monster
VOL. 30 // ISSUE 03
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2022
news@ufvcascade.ca News Editor — Rachel Tait
NEWS
UFV //
Coming back to campus during Omicron RACHEL TAIT On Jan. 24, UFV students returned back to campus for scheduled in-person learning. At the beginning of the semester, classes shifted to online learning with health concerns over the Omicron variant. With classes back in-person, steps are being taken by UFV to keep faculty, staff, and students healthy and maintain a safe learning environment for all. According to UFV’s director of communications, Dave Pinton, returning to inperson learning can help with the mental well-being of students and can give them the support they need. Pinton adds that “the decision to return to in-person learning was made with the Provincial Health Officer and the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training and reflects UFV’s ongoing concern for the health and well-being of faculty, staff, and students.” Pinton explains that “across BC, 17 postsecondary institutions have returned to in-person learning. The layers of protection deployed by UFV, and a highly vaccinated campus community, have kept transmission rates low. Recent data from the Provincial Health Office indicates that it is those who are unvaccinated and over the age of 70 who have the greatest risk of severe illness and hospitalization.” UFV recently responded to a letter from the Student Union Society that outlined their concerns for health and safety as
classes resumed in-person. The university addressed concerns regarding class sizes, safety protocols, health checks, and if students can eat and drink in the classroom. In regard to the recent letter that SUS sent the university requesting a return to online learning, Pinton explains that “it is important to note the survey results SUS posted in their letter of Jan. 21, while conveying concerns held by a portion of students at UFV, do not statistically reflect the opinions of the majority of students at UFV.” Pinton also adds that “[although] SUS stated that 68 per cent of students disapprove of returning to campus and 70 per cent believe that back to campus should be delayed, [it] would be correct if it read, 68 per cent of students who responded to the poll (2634 according to the SUS letter dated January 19) disapprove of returning to campus (please note: 68 per cent of 2634 students surveyed equals 1791 students). While this segment of the UFV population is significant and deserves answers, given there are currently 9100 students registered; this means it is possible 20 per cent of all UFV’s current students are expressing this sentiment. Therefore, this is statistically not the “unanimous concern” mentioned in the SUS letter of Jan. 21. It is not the majority of current UFV students. In fact, looking at these numbers, one could reasonably conclude 80 per cent of UFV students either agree with coming back to UFV or did not give an opinion.”
UFV Abbotsford Campus. (Laura Ayres/ The Cascade)
In regards to returning to the university, Pinton emphasizes that, “students should make sure they are familiar with the requirements of coming to campus as listed on the UFV Return to Campus website and check their UFV email often for updates as the provincial pandemic guidelines change in concert with the scientific response to the pandemic.” With classes and activities shifting back
to face-to face interactions and learning, Pinton also addresses that “UFV recognizes there are a variety of perspectives on returning to campus.” He adds that “many students are excited about the prospect of face-to-face learning, while others may be anxious [and] support services are available through UFV Student Services.”
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VOL. 30 // ISSUE 03
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2022
NEWS
NEWS BRIEFS
SUS //
SUS Impact core value plan for 2022 Unifying the student body and bringing impact to the post secondary experience
Trucker ‘Freedom Convoy’ protests across Canada Over the past week, thousands of truckers have rallied together in protest across Canada against the recent public health cross-border mandate. The mandate requires unvaccinated Canadian truckers to quarantine when crossing the Canada-US border and has sparked the “Freedom Convoy” across the country. One trucker explained to CBC News that "truck drivers are isolated in their jobs, haven't been associated to spread, and we can't afford to damage our supply chain any more than it is. But this convoy seems to have morphed into a kind of protest against all vaccine and COVID-related shutdowns." Although the convoy began with truckers protesting the cross-border mandate, many protestors are instead expressing that all vaccine mandates and COVID-19 protocols should be lifted. There have been three arrests in Ottawa and five in Vancouver, but authorities are expecting this number to grow as the protests continue. - Sydney Marchand
B.C. prescriptions for a national park pass Doctors in British Columbia can now prescribe patients a free annual Parks Canada Discovery Pass. The program, known as PaRx, partnered with the B.C. Parks Foundation and aims to inspire patients to get out into nature. This was encouraged by general practitioners who already note the many benefits that getting outdoors can have on patients with ADHD, anxiety, and depression specifically. Passholders will gain access to 80 parks across Canada; however, not all doctors are registered for PaRx. Interested patients should consult with their GP to register for the program. - Sydney Marchand
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RACHEL TAIT Currently, the Student Union Society (SUS) is implementing and focusing on their core value of Impact to help make the most out of students’ experiences at UFV. On the SUS website, they write that “we seek to provide an inclusive community where the supports we offer students are accessible, equitable, and impactful.” The SUS president, Nikiel Lal, graciously sat down for an interview to explain more about this goal and why they are primarily focusing on Impact right now. Could you talk more about the core value of Impact? What Impact means to us and the student body is essentially how we can provide that meaningful impact to students by providing them with the best post secondary experience possible through services, events, hearing their voices, [and] through advocating. I want to make sure that I am doing my part for the student body to [ensure] that we are being represented adequately. What does SUS plan to do with this initiative? We have decided that [Impact] is the biggest core value we are going to focus on this year. At the beginning of the year we had our big orientation [and] Kickback, and that was the start of our big events. [Students] really enjoyed the community and engagement aspect of that and the post secondary experience that [it] brought. We wanted to do
“Everyone at SUS genuinely wants to hear about how students feel and continue to make an impact on the student body, the students’ lives, and the students’ experiences.” more of that, and then we got hit with [roadblocks], such as COVID-19 and the floods, and we had to pivot and do things online. We want to make sure that everything we do this year is very impactful. We want to make sure that students
SUS Building. (Laura Ayres/ The Cascade
know about all our services, who we are, and that they can reach us at any time … We really want to make an impact on [students] by providing services, support in general, and by providing events … that are big and drive activity and community engagement, while also providing mental health activities and services … and just bring meaningful things to students that impact their [post-secondary] experience. I think it is so important to destigmatize the negative assumptions regarding mental health and [let] people know that it’s okay to have struggles, everyone struggles, and it’s important to know that there are so many services here in place and it’s okay to use [them]. Has it been just as impactful online or was there less engagement? We are doing our best to provide the best service we can. When UFV announced they wanted to come back inperson, right away we put out a survey to the student body; we did a poll on Instagram and sent emails. We want students to get their voices heard, we want to hear it, and we want to advocate for them. It was great to read everyone’s comments and feelings. We want to make sure we are there for [students] more than ever…And that we continue that momentum forward when we transition out of these tough times. How did SUS come up with the idea to pursue the core value of Impact? Our core values are Respect, Stewardship, Impact, Compassion, Leadership. With the crazy year we have all had and all the uncertainty that it brought, we see Impact as … ensuring our services are meaningful, have power, and add meaning to our students’ post secondary experience. We want to make sure that Impact is felt at all capacity and that we are able to provide the kind of services, events, and compassion to students to let them
know that regardless of what state we are in the world, the Student Union has got you.
“No student is alone; we are all together. We will make it through the storm.” Is there any advice you would give to students to help them have an impactful year and to make a difference? I would say stay hopeful. We are almost at the end of the tunnel. I want to thank students for being so responsive for filling out our surveys, for engaging and for reaching out. It really empowers students to continue to do that. Without the students we wouldn’t be who we are. And for us to do great work, it starts with the students and it starts with the team. No student is alone; we are all together. We will make it through the storm. Is there anything else you want to add about Impact and what SUS hopes to accomplish? Students, please continue to reach out and email. Come visit the office; everyone at SUS genuinely wants to hear about how students feel and [wants to] continue to make an impact on the student body, the students’ lives and the students’ experiences. We are all in this together. There’s so much to look forward to this year, so stay excited.
Interview was edited for length and clarity
VOL. 30 // ISSUE 03
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2022
NEWS Column //
Professor Profile: The evolution of libraries and their relevance in today’s society Librarian Kim Isaac shares some surprising facts PRIYA GHUMAN In today’s technologically advanced world, it is assumed that libraries are vanishing and declining drastically. But that's actually not the case; libraries in general are progressing over time. Kim Isaac worked at UFV’s library from 1989 until her retirement in 2021. She very kindly sat down for an interview on how libraries are still important and have evolved during her three-decade career. Are libraries evolving or declining due to technology? Technology has allowed us to expand and grow; there were 1,400 journal sub-
scriptions in the early 2000’s, and they were all printed. But when I retired last year, we had 70,000 journals that were available online and easily accessible. Most of these journals were not obtainable, but the library staff made sure that they were available for the students so that they could easily log in and access these journals … It was a life saver for the institutions; it opened up opportunities. Due to the restrictions set during COVID-19, the way local or public libraries are accessed has changed a lot. Did you notice any change in the level of in-person usage of the library in this virtual world? In fact, over the years, the library went
from this quiet place with a lot of print books to a place with more and more digital collections, and [has added] a lot of study space where people could sit to study or just talk. In addition, libraries would never be entirely replaced by technology because libraries have added many group and individual study spaces. In fact, people have been using more and more library services due to such modifications and appealing changes. Evidently, all this was pre-COVID-19 but even after the pandemic, students wanted to get in the library, as it became a safe learning and a social space for people. In the coming years, do you think libraries will be entirely replaced by the internet or technological development?
Overall, libraries can never be entirely replaced by the internet or technologies because people are going to need professional assistance, services, and collections which libraries still provide. If people think libraries are dying, then they may have a very outdated outlook towards what libraries actually are and what they offer. Often people think of libraries more as a bunch of dusty shelves of books, which they never were and are currently far from that. [The library] is a place where people can come together … Public libraries are a huge part of communicating with different people. People [don’t just] access books in the library; they communicate too. Interview was edited for length and clarity.
UFV //
A student’s concern over UFV’s COVID-19 safety measures, and the petition that started it all As schools quickly adapt to COVID-19, students say the mandates aren’t enough ANISA QUINTYNE Jinnie Saran is an upper-level student at UFV pursuing her Bachelor of Arts degree. When she’s not in class, she is the president of the CreWri Association. In light of the recent Omicron outbreak, she began an online petition that pushed to extend online learning, which has now surpassed 200 signatures. What motivated you to create this petition? It was the obvious lack of safety measures at UFV and their refusal to take proactive steps in protecting their community. At most, students and staff are encouraged to wash their hands and wear a mask. However, there seems to be nothing beyond this such as upgrading to MERV13 filters or requiring N-95 masks within a classroom setting. There are also no strict vaccine mandates as [vaccine cards] are not mandatory in classrooms, which are confined spaces that are occupied for a great length of time. There is absolutely no reporting of COVID-19 positive cases on campus, as well as no form of contact tracing. An instructor is not allowed to disclose to a class if someone has a case; thus, not only are we not able to have an
accurate percentage of cases linked to the university setting, but we are putting other students at risk of spreading the virus to their communities unknowingly. Lastly, I was highly motivated by the ableist attitude demonstrated by our institution when there are many staff and students who may be immunocompromised, live with someone who is immunocompromised, or have other disabilities that make in-person learning not only challenging but unsafe for them. For instance, I am a blind student, and therefore must rely on other students to keep their distance from me, and can not read directional arrows placed on campus. I would note at this point that directional arrows provide zero protection against an airborne virus. So far, the petition has pushed over 200 signatures. With many people sharing similar concerns over UFV’s COVID-19 protocols, how do you feel about the support you’ve gained from the community? Are silent voices finally being heard? Voices were never silent, but were rather ignored by our institution. I am very appreciative of the community, staff, and student support I have received. It not only affirms my perspective during this difficult time, but speaks to the broader issue at hand, which is the large
portion of the UFV community not wishing to return to in-person classes at this time due to reasonable safety concerns. However; UFV has not engaged with the petition at this time. We’ve seen a wave of similar concern happen at Simon Fraser University, where a student walk-out was held in protest of in-person classes. What are your thoughts on this recent movement? I stand in solidarity with the SFU students and admire and commend them for their actions this week. These students have done something that many administrators have chosen not to do, and that is speak up for their larger campus community. Not only have their actions caught the attention of local news sources such as CBC and Global News, but it is a motivator and push for other students to take charge of their own safety. I personally wish to organize something similar at UFV if the institution refuses to listen to the petition. We have now seen this happen across any number of universities and post-secondary institutions across BC and Canada. What actions do you think UFV should take to ensure the safety of students?
UFV should not only begin consulting the Faculty and Staff Association and students when it comes to such decision making, but should give a larger focus to student and staff welfare rather than business continuity. To be frank, what are we going to do with a strong and solid campus when the bulk of our staff and students are sick, have long COVID, or lose their lives? Moreover, the university must recognize the harm that their decisions have made, and are continuing to make, and rectify the situation. The institution could strongly re-evaluate the sparse safety measures in place and introduce a more robust set of safety protocols to make staff and students comfortable in the physical environment. UFV could follow the lead of other institutions and choose to become a leader and a catalyst in creating positive change. I was someone who thought highly of our institution even though others viewed us as less-than for being a smaller school, but with the actions that UFV has chosen to take, my faith and respect for my own school has gone down significantly. I am sure that many other students feel the same way. UFV must decide what is more valuable: the lives of its students, faculty, and staff community, or sustaining shortterm revenue. Interview was edited for length and clarity.
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VOL. 30 // ISSUE 03
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2022
OPINION
opinion@ufvcascade.ca KaitThompson — Opinion Editor
Editorial //
Ice dancing over mass genocide Don’t let snow sports distract you from the Uyghur genocide enacted by the host nation ANDREA SADOWSKI This week’s feature story is about three young athletes from BC who are sliding for the gold in Beijing. I have always loved the Olympics, and I’m beyond excited that we got Olympic athletes to talk to our small, independent newspaper. I poignantly remember watching the Canadian men’s hockey team win gold in the 2010 Olympics, promptly shutting down entire intersections as every neighbour came out of their house to celebrate by screaming and dancing in the streets. I was in Brazil when their men’s soccer team won gold in Rio in 2016; the twenty Brazilians I shared a house with all jumped on each other, crying and shouting in sheer joy. I will take all of the figure skating, snowboarding, luging, biathloning, ski jumping, and even curling, that I can get. There is something about watching humans perform almost superhuman-like abilities and seeing them cry on the podium as their dreams become manifested into reality that makes my heart just sing.
The modern Olympic games are the brainchild of Pierre de Coubertin, who founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894 in the pursuit of a more peaceful world. With over 200 countries competing side-by-side, the Olympics are the perfect platform for friendly diplomatic relations, as well as acts of political rebellion. Jesse Owens, a Black American runner, smashed Hitler’s theory of Aryanrace supremacy during the 1936 games in Berlin. Cathy Freeman, a runner of the Kuku Yalanji people, celebrated her victory at the 2000 games in Sydney by waving both the Australia and Aboriginal flags. A team of refugees was formed in 2016 during the height of the refugee crisis in Europe. Athletes from North and South Korea walked together during the opening ceremonies in Pyeongchang in 2018. While the IOC claims political neutrality, theirs is a rather lofty, idealistic view. Not even the best ice dancers will distract the world from China’s grotesque and inhumane treatment of Uyghur muslims. Human Rights Watch labelled China’s treatment of this minority group as crimes
against humanity, as the communist government’s tortue of the Uyghur people of Xinjiang has reached “unprecedented levels.” China has been accused of com-
“Not even the best ice dancers will distract the world from China’s grotesque and inhumane treatment of Uyghur muslims.” mitting genocide to the Uyghur people as they have forced up to a million people into detention camps, conscripted them into forced labour, seperated families,
and sterilized women. Chinese authorities have totally denied all of these documented abuses. China has also denied allegations of the mistreatment of Tibetans, stripped the democratic freedoms of Hong Kong, and silenced anyone who dares to critique their regime, like tennis star Peng Shuai and political cartoonist Badiucao. For all these reasons and more, countries like Canada, the US, the UK, and Australia have declared a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Olympics. The purpose of this week’s feature is to highlight the talents and perseverance of young BC athletes, and is not meant to white-wash over the extensive list of human rights abuses China has been at the centre of. Between one to three million people have been sent to “re-education camps” (ie. concentration camps) that enact physical, psychological, and sexual torture. This year, I’ll be cheering on the athletes who have dedicated their lives to perfecting their craft, all while shunning the host country for being straight-up fascist dictators who have no regard for human life or sanctity.
Column//
The Conscious Consumer: zero-waste living is just not sustainable Conversations about sustainability in an unsustainable world SYDNEY MARCHAND The zero-waste movement has gained a lot of traction over the past few years. It focuses on creating as little waste as possible by encouraging people to repurpose items, eliminate single-use packaging, compost food waste, grow or make your own food when possible, purchase items secondhand, buy foods in bulk — the list goes on and on. It is no secret that landfills are overflowing with man-made consumer waste. Every year, each Canadian is estimated to produce 673 kilograms of waste, ranking Canada worse than the US in waste management according to the 2019 Global Waste Index by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Due to the fact that landfills are so densely packed, biodegradable waste may not properly break down and, in turn, produces methane. When we are not littering our landfills, we are polluting our waters with plastics, contaminating marine life with microplastics, and threatening our aquatic ecosystems. These major environmental threats are pillars in the zero-waste movement as it suggests taking individual responsibility for your waste production
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and carbon footprint. Social media influencers have created large platforms outlining how to live a life that does not create any excess trash and often use their yearly “trash jars” as
“We aren’t all going to be perfect “zero-wasters,” and we shouldn’t have to hold ourselves up to the aesthetics of the lifestyle.” encouragement for followers to adopt the lifestyle. The movement is beyond just using metal straws. It creates an all-or-nothing mindset that, I think, is unattainable to the general population. For years, I was sucked into this idea of living zero-waste and was inspired to follow the aesthetics of the lifestyle. I used re-
usable produce bags, I went to bulk stores and filled up old peanut butter jars with my pantry staples, I only bought packaged food in glass or aluminum, switched to shampoo bars instead of plastic bottles, made my own granola (it was a vibe) and tried making my own plant milk; I did all the things, and yet it wasn’t enough. Despite my efforts, I was still creating waste on a daily basis. I came to the realization that we do not live in a zero-waste, plasticfree world, and it is exhausting and impossible to try and be 100 per cent waste-free. Instead, I think that there are small things we can focus on to minimize the amount of waste we produce. It isn’t about being perfect; it’s about adopting changes that are sustainable for our own lifestyles. These are my tips for being waste-conscious: Reusable study material Instead of working through practice problems in a notebook or on flashcards, try using sites like Quizlet to test your knowledge. I also purchased a small whiteboard to write down key terms or phrases. You can use these resources over the course of many semesters and it will conserve the amount of paper you use. The key here is to reduce the amount of unnecessary paper use.
Bring reusable cutlery Instead of reaching for single-use plastic cutlery, consider keeping a reusable set in your bag. About 300 million tonnes of plastic waste is created annually, so something as small as this could make a big difference without a lot of hassle. It doesn’t take up much space in your bag and helps keep waste down when getting lunch to-go. Don’t use plastic produce bags When the pandemic hit, I was no longer able to use my reusable produce bags at most grocery stores. So, instead, I just decided to skip bags altogether. Most produce items are fine to be kept loose in your shopping cart and it is an easy waste-reducing hack to incorporate into your routine. It isn’t about being perfect. It is about incorporating little things into your routine that help you minimize your overall waste production without completely inconveniencing your lifestyle. We aren’t all going to be perfect “zero-wasters,” and we shouldn’t have to hold ourselves up to the aesthetics of the lifestyle. Rather, we can take small steps to help the cause in whatever way is feasible to us as individuals.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2022
VOL. 30 // ISSUE 03
OPINION Column //
Sex & Relationships: Love languages CHANDY DANCEY “Love language” has become a trendy buzzword, but there’s true merit behind understanding how you and your partner receive love differently. When you start a new partnership, you begin the journey of teaching them how to love you: what do you appreciate and need in a relationship to feel happy, connected, and loved? Similarly, it’s good to know how your loved one wants to be appreciated and what the best way is to let them know you care. This concept was developed in the book The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman through his experience in marriage counselling. Anyone can apply the idea of love languages to help connect with someone in their life, whether it be a lover, friend, or family. Words of affirmation: This involves expressing affection through spoken words. If you appreciate something about your partner or think they do something well, tell them. Express gratitude, give encouragement, and offer compliments. Someone with this love language might enjoy getting a cute text to let them know they’re on your mind, hearing “I love you” or “thank you,” or being told all the reasons why you enjoy being with them. Quality time: This involves giving your partner your undivided attention. A great idea to incorporate this into your love life is carving out time intentionally to spend together. The activity can be anything from a walk, debriefing about your day, or cooking a meal together. Emphasis is on “quality,” though, as in give them your attention and put the phone away. Make eye contact with this partner, share mean-
ingful time together, and actively listen to what they’re saying. Receiving gifts: This involves giving your partner a thoughtful token of love. It’s not the gift itself, but it’s the time and effort behind the gift that makes them feel appreciated. After all, actions speak louder than words. These symbols of love don’t
Acts of service: This involves doing something for your partner to make their life easier. This can be easing household responsibilities by helping with chores, doing something nice for them unprompted, or just simply asking what would help ease their burdens. Maybe it’s breakfast in bed, getting them Starbucks, or preparing their
Illustration by Brielle Quon
need to be over-the-top or expensive: you could get them hand-picked flowers, food they’ve always wanted to try, or a keychain that made you think of them. For someone with this love language, consider keeping a list of what they’ve asked for and surprise them every so often.
gym bag for them ahead of time. Physical touch: This involves giving your partner physical affection. This doesn’t have to mean mind-blowing sex (although that can’t hurt). It can be giving them a big hug, playfully smacking their behind, holding their hand, or giving them
a massage. Look to be close physically, like cuddling while watching a movie, when you’re together to induce a little extra physical intimacy. What do you do with this information? The best way to use the idea of love languages is to apply it! Take a quiz online or reflect on what makes a fun date for you, what you actively need in a relationship, or what you commonly request from your partner. If you want to learn more about how this concept applies to your partner, instead of guessing or trying to read minds, open a conversation about it. Ask questions and be curious and nonjudgmental about the answer. If there’s a disconnect in love languages, this can lead to disconnects in the relationship or in needs not being met. If your partner is busy, they may buy you a gift to show that they’ve been thinking of you, but that isn’t always well-received when you really just want them to cuddle you on the couch instead. Secondly, use this concept as a stepping stone, not a bible. Love languages are a fun way to connect and communicate with a loved one, but they shouldn’t be the only tool in your arsenal. Don’t use love languages to limit how you show or receive love, and don’t expect them to be the only thing you need for a successful relationship. Accept that at different stages in your life, you’re going to need different forms of love and you’re going to need to communicate that. If you’re grieving a loss, healing from an injury, angry at your partner, or are celebrating a success, these events could all alter what you need to feel loved, and that’s okay.
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VOL. 30 // ISSUE 03
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2022
OPINION Life //
Getting serious about self care Iced coffee is not a meal. Iced coffee is not a meal. Iced coffee is not… KAIT THOMPSON It might have something to do with the encroachment of social media on every corner of our lives; carefully curated online culture tempts us to compare our lives to everyone else’s highlight reel, and leaves us feeling like we have to keep up. Big brand marketing campaigns have also worked very hard in the last few years to convince us all that luxury equals self care and wellness, and that mental health is something that can be maintained by a flash-frozen smoothie subscription box. Or I could just blame Parks and Recreation for starting that whole “treat yo’ self” thing way back in 2011. However it started, it’s a phenomenon that I can’t stop noticing everywhere I look now. Somewhere along the way I think that we let the words ‘self care’ get away from us. What started as a concept meant to bring happiness and healing to those who are struggling got hijacked; it’s now more of a buzzword than a tangible concept, and I think it’s due for a reboot.
Don’t get me wrong, this is just as much a self-callout as it is an observation; I don’t know how I got so sucked in myself. It always starts out with the best of intentions. If I have a bad day or if I’m stressed about something, I decide that I need to do something nice for “me,” to try and pull myself together. So I drag myself out of the house
“When used mindfully and with intention, self soothing can be extremely useful in helping us cope — but it is not the same thing as self care.” for a seven dollar iced coffee, or melt into my couch and slip down a YouTube rabbit hole for a few hours. In moderation, this model of self care may be therapeutic, but I think it is starting to become too easy to over do it. Navigating how to take care of yourself by how
you feel in the moment is tricky, especially when you are someone who is struggling with mental health or heavy stress that may distort your judgment. In moments of instability, the most comforting and appealing impulses might seem like a great way to show yourself a little kindness, but that doesn’t mean they are doing anything to take “care” of you. I’m not saying there isn’t a time and place for glittery bath bombs or eating a bag of cheese popcorn for dinner. The idea of leaning in to what your “soul” needs as a way to take care of yourself has a certain romantic appeal, and I can see why Buzzfeed has managed to turn this mindset into a business. But at a certain point I think it’s worthwhile to stop and ask ourselves: is going with what feels good the same thing as doing what’s good for us? I think that it depends, but in the specific case of what writer Chelsea Fagan from The Financial Diet calls ‘instagram self care,” not necessarily. I took a class a few years ago where the concept of “self soothing” was introduced as an important tool for emotional regula-
tion. When used mindfully and with intention, self soothing can be extremely useful in helping us cope — but it is not the same thing as self care. If we define self care as literally taking care of ourselves, then sometimes we need to resist the temptation to self soothe. It stands to reason that sometimes the best self care I could practice could be dragging myself through doing my laundry instead of watching three hours of Kitchen Nightmares, or cooking a nutritious meal with vegetables instead of ordering take out. It’s as unsexy as it is boring, but instead of sleeping in to “treat myself” on my day off this morning, I got up and did my dishes — and let me tell you folks, the serotonin kick doesn’t lie. Sometimes self care is face masks and Netflix, but sometimes it’s sticking to my budget and making myself go to bed before 2:00 a.m. If this all seems obvious to you, then power to you for figuring this out sooner than I did. But if you relate to this and have been feeling like you need a little pick me up, go pay your hydro bill and make yourself a snack that contains protein and a complex carb. Treat yo’ self!
Life //
A noticeable trend in podcast genres Nostalgic TV rewatch podcasts are becoming the new wave for podcast listeners across the medium ANISA QUINTYNE Podcasts have been resurging as a new form of entertainment, especially for listeners already acquainted with their favourite audio dramas. It’s no surprise that as of 2021, Spotify’s paid premium membership boasted up to 165 million active subscribers. Even more noticeably, we’re beginning to see new genres emerging on the horizon. As nostalgia takes hold, celebrity TV rewatch shows are dominating the medium. We’ve heard it all. True crime, drama, sci-fi, and audio biographies. This genre of nostalgia-fueled intrigue has risen during quarantine, with many of us reverting back to our middle-school interests to comfort us in these stressful times. T.V. rewatch podcasts serve the same effect, only in pocket-sized audio form starring the celebrities who inspired our nostalgia. If you’re a fan of The O.C, a teen soap opera made in the early 2000s, then you’ll enjoy their new celebrity binge podcast that began in April of last year. Each episode features commentary by Rachel Bilson and Melinda Clarke, who dive into episodes of the past while delivering behind-thescenes exclusives. In 2019, Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey launched their rewatch podcast Office Ladies, where they come together every week to discuss The Office and interview
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past guests of the show, for old times' sake. This sitcom won iHeartRadio’s award for podcast of the year in 2021, winning over the hearts of fans who crave the feeling of old familiarity. This phenomenon isn’t exclusive to just these two shows. Podcasts are skyrocketing like no tomorrow, with a growing audience of 51 per cent of Americans over the age of 12 listening to podcasts. While I haven’t personally listened to Welcome to the O.C., Bitches! or Office Ladies, I’ll admit that I’ve contributed to Spotify’s overwhelming amount of daily podcast listeners. There’s just something so accessible about stories being packaged nicely in an audio format with a little bow on top. The appeal is there, it’s always been there; from the rise of oldtime talk show radios in the 20’s, to people originally getting their daily news source in an audio-episodic format. What’s intriguing, I find, is the ability to listen into a conversation with other like-minded fans picking up on all the things you previously missed on your first rewatch. “Oh, the message of the story was that? You’re joking!” And so the fandom discussions begin, and more podcasts are made in response to a demand for similar voices. In the height of the 2020 lockdowns,
Illustration by Brielle Quon
podcasts nearly replaced my traditional mode of entertainment, with films and TV shows exiled to a long shadow far behind me (sorry, Euphoria). I found myself completely engrossed in horror and sci-fi podcasts such as The Magnus Archives, Wolf 359, and Archive 81 — which has now been adapted as a series on Netflix. These are ridiculously good. Seriously. I say this with
my chest when I confess that podcasts can be phenomenally addicting, outstandingly witty, and heart-wrenching all in two hours and thirty-six minutes. So, if you’re looking for an audio drama to lose yourself in someone else’s problems, or a celebrity T.V. rewatch that will satisfy your binge after an incredibly nostalgic series, then podcasts are for you.
BRIEF BITS OF BITE-SIZED BREVITY
SN S AP HO TS
CURTAILED COMMENTARY ON CURRENT CONDITIONS
Illustrations by Iryna Presley
Junk mail overload The sex life of bottlenose dolphins It’s a well known fact that dolphins are extremely intelligent creatures, with their brain-to-body ratio second only to humans. They use this vast intelligence to communicate, use tools, and even to make each other cum. Humans are quite foolish to believe that we are the only species on earth that has sex for pleasure and not soley for reproduction. Dolphins have a lot of sex outside of their reproductive cycle, with a lot of different partners, mainly to establish and maintain important social bonds. A recent study published in Current Biology found that female
dolphins get a lot of pleasure through clitoral stimulation, which is practised most often during female-female sexual interactions. Yes, dolphins have clitorises; in fact, all female mammals have one. Whether or not every female mammal can experience orgasm, however, is still up for debate. But I hope it’s true. I hope all female mammals are experiencing mind-shattering orgasms like we all deserve to have.
I have a terrible habit of never deleting any of my spam emails. I often sign up for those random online newsletters. You know, the ones that need your email address to get an extra discount on online shopping orders. And being the frugal and financially struggling student that I am, I can’t pass on a discount — even if it only saves me a couple of bucks. These discounts are so worth it to me in the moment that I don’t care if it leads to dozens of spam emails flooding my inbox every month. But I’ll admit it’s kind of frustrating having thousands and thousands of unread emails sitting dormant in my inbox and staring at me in an unorganized mess.
I’ve tried unsubscribing to a few of these newsletters, but honestly, I just can’t keep up. There are over ten years worth of emails to go through. I think it would take me hours, if not days, to go through it all, mark every email to “read,” and try to get my life together. I considered just deleting my email altogether and starting fresh with a new one, but I think I have reached the point of no return. For now, I’ll remind myself that the discounts are worth it and to just accept the overcrowded, spammed mess that I call my email account.
Sydney Marchand
Andrea Sadowski
My pursuit to win Trivial Pursuit The hibernating garden Outside my kitchen window, there is a rose bush that climbs almost all the way up to the roof. It was here when I moved in last summer, and their huge, deep red petals seemed infinite, with round after round of new rose buds popping up every week. My favourite spot in my apartment is at my little kitchen nook. I love to sit there in the afternoons with the window open and let the sun and the wind filter through the flowers, filling my kitchen with their floral fragrance and casting delicate shadows across the hardwood.
This week I woke up to a pathetic tuft of stubby, bare branches sticking up out of the dirt under my window. Early in the morning the building maintenance came and did their winter landscaping. I read that it’s necessary to cut the roses all the way back to help them grow bigger and better blooms next summer, but I’m still a little sad every time I look out my window.
Kait Thompson
I have a growing list on my phone called “Things I Should Know.” I’ve spent the better half of my life laughing off general knowledge trivia that I just don’t know, and I finally decided to write down all the things I should have retained from elementary school. My list includes country flags, how elections really work, what languages people speak in specific countries, and what lakes exist in Chilliwack (where I lived for 21 years). I’m sure that my dad, who’s a cabinet maker with a measuring tape permanently attached to his waist, is secretly ashamed that I don’t know
how to measure in imperial. Maritime provinces freak me out; I can never remember which one’s New Brunswick and which one’s Nova Scotia. I don’t know anyone’s phone number except my own. The problem is that I haven’t made any steps toward learning these things. Maybe I don’t need to know every fact in Trivial Pursuit, but I feel pretty stupid when I don’t know which direction the sun rises and sets.
Danaye Reinhardt
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VOL. 30 // ISSUE 3
Feature //
Sliding in Beijing
Luge, the fastest winter sport has found its place among three BC Olympic athletes
Andrea Sadowski & Teryn Midzain If you don’t blink, you might catch three athletes from our province that will be competing in the Winter Olympics in Beijing. They will be hurling themselves down the track at Yanqing National Sliding Center in the fastest sport at the winter Olympics: luge. A Eurocentric sport, countries like Germany, Italy and Austria dominate the luge podium. The first international sledding race was held in Switzerland in 1883, with the International Luge Federation founded in 1957. Luge was introduced in the winter Olympics in 1964 and there are four categories lugers can compete in at the Olympic games — men’s singles, women’s singles, doubles, and team relay. Canadian lugers made their Olympic debut in 1968. The Canadian Luge Association, a not-for-profit organization, recruits and develops Canadian athletes to compete in the winter games. They are funded by the government of Canada, Canadian Olympic Committee, and Own the Podium. Thanks to the development of Olympic tracks in Calgary and Whistler for the 1988 and 2010 winter games, a new generation of athletes was allowed the chance to develop their skills and reach for gold. The objective of the luge is quite simple: feel the rush of life in you and be the fastest one to complete the track without dying. While in theory, the sport of luge is “simple” enough that children can do it, as children as young as eight can learn the sport, luge is no joke. Sliders can reach speeds of up to 145 kilometers an hour. Luge is a time-based sport and just a few thousandths of a second can make the difference between silver or gold. The race consists of four runs by each athlete. The total time of each run is tallied up and the luger with the fastest overall time is crowned the victor. The equipment for luge is a rather short list, with the most technical piece being the sled. The sled is designed to be as fast and safe as possible. A single sled usually weighs between 21–25 kilograms and a doubles’ sled can weigh up to 30 kilograms. The racer slides lying down feet-first and steers the sled by shifting their weight with their shoulders, calves and abdominal muscles. The sleds are monitored closely before and after each run. The sleds are weighed and examined by officials, so no alterations, such as warming the sled’s blades for a faster slide, can be made. If either a sled or an athlete fails one of these checks, they and their team are disqualified.
Trinity Ellis: Trinity Ellis is a 19-year-old World Cup competitor from Pemberton, BC. She has been competing internationally since 2018. Ellis graciously agreed to talk with The Cascade while she was in Germany on the World Cup circuit. Ellis came in 14th place on Feb. 8.
Photo credit: Luge Canada
You got a head start learning luge as you grew up so close to Whistler. What drew you to the sport at such a young age?
I got my first try [at luge] during a field trip, actually. Living so close to Whistler and
the track, I got the opportunity to try it and I just fell in love with it right away. I loved the speed and the adrenaline and just the whole feeling of it. It’s like tobogganing on
steroids. It is really niche too. It’s a random sport to get into, it’s unique and something you wouldn’t really have the opportunity to try if you didn’t live near a track. I’m always very grateful that I got that chance.
You will be competing in singles luge in Beijing next month, your first time at the Olympics. What are you feeling right now? I am just super excited. Ever since we found out, I’ve just been itching to get on the plane down there. I’m really looking forward to the whole experience and excited for it; it’s definitely a bit surreal, for sure.
When did you find out you were going to the Olympics? We found out probably just over two weeks ago and then it was announced publicly on Jan. 18.
Do you ever feel scared hurling yourself down this track at such insane speeds? Yeah, it’s definitely about getting past the fear. It can be really fast. You know there’s no turning back because there are no brakes or anything, so you have to fully commit to
A luger’s main source of protection is a helmet with a face shield or visor, and a neck strap to support their heads against the G-forces felt when going downhill. Racers have special “booties” that help keep their legs and feet strapped to the sled, as well as help steer the sled. The final unique piece of equipment for luge is a pair of spike gloves that help grip the ice at the start of their runs.
it. But I think at this point in my exciting career, I have reached a skill level that I know
Each luge track is slightly different and provides different challenges for racers. Some tracks are faster than others, some have trickier turns, and the overall length changes too. Each corner and turn on the track is numbered so safety crews know where an accident is located, as well as making it easier for spectators to follow the racers. The Yanqing Sliding Center in Beijing is the longest track in the world, with a full 360 degree corner. The track will be used for the sliding sports of luge, bobsled, and skeleton.
How has COVID-19 affected your life as an athlete?
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that I’m capable of everything that I’m going to do, and it just really forces you to trust yourself. So, I think there is always a healthy amount of fear.
It definitely has a huge impact on just how we function in sport and overall definitely less travel. It’s much more stressful. We’re taking all the precautions we can to stay
healthy. While we’re traveling, you go to training, come back to your hotel and that’s
pretty much it. So it’s definitely much more focused on what we’re here to do, which in some ways is good, and then in other ways can be kind of exhausting.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 09, 2022
“It’s like toboganning on steriods.” What have been some of the best and most challenging moments or races leading up to the Olympics? I think I found a lot of consistency over this past season and that’s something that
I’m really taking as a positive. There have been so many new experiences and new places, like super cool, brand new tracks that I’ve had to learn quickly, which is a challenge, but has also been a positive.
I’d say, probably the biggest challenge is just how long the season has been. It’s a
long time to be on the road and away from home, family, and friends. We’ve actually been on the road in Europe, China and Russia since Oct. 4. So, it’s almost been four months now
I thought the tracks were all just a big circle; you’re telling me that all the luge tracks are different?
“Always do what you love, and you never know where it’s going to take you.”
Every track in the world is completely unique from any other track. So, some tracks
You’ve already been to China in the past four months; what is it like there with their zero-COVID-19 policy?
we call them driving tracks, and you have to be way more on the ball. Other tracks
It was very intense. It was definitely like the most intense COVID-19 procedures
have different styles of slotting that you need. Some could be way more technical and we call gliding tracks; these tracks are less technical, but you need to really relax and let the sled run to gain speed. I think the China track, the brand new one, is a mix
of both of those. So, it’s pretty interesting that way. They all fall into a certain set of parameters and rules that are set out, but each track is very unique.
or policies we’ve ever had on the world circuit, which I get. When I first got there, all the Chinese staff were wearing full hazmat suits. I don’t think we saw a single
person’s actual face for three weeks. But it’s good, you know, they take it seriously.
We kept the whole circuit safe and healthy. It took a bit of adjusting, but you get used
to it so quickly. We had PCR tests every day we were there. I wish I kept track of how many tests I’ve had this season.
“It really forces you to trust yourself, I think there is always a healthy amount of fear.”
Do you have another favorite winter Olympic sport you will be watching? This is my first Olympics where I know [other athletes] personally, or I’ve met
What is the best piece of advice you’ve gotten from someone on your team? To do with luge or life or anything else?
athletes that will be at the Olympics in other sports. So, I’ll definitely be looking for other local BC athletes that I see around the gym. Pretty much everything, I’m just really excited for it.
Probably something my coach says sometimes is to drop the expectations, which
kind of sounds bad when you say it like that. But, I find personally, I perform my best when I’m not thinking about that end result or how I want to finish, but just focusing on the progress and what you need to do to have your best performance.
What is your training like for this sport? What’s your typical day as a full time World Cup athlete?
What is a piece of wisdom you can share with our readers as an Olympian? Always do what you love, and you never know where it’s going to take you.
During a World Cup week, we have five to seven training rounds before the race, but
it depends on certain things, like if you’ve been to the track before and have qualified for the World Cup before. There’s usually about three days of training and then two days of break per week. And then we have gym sessions in between. To prepare for the World Cup circuit, we do a lot more volume training on different tracks around
the world, where we would do four to six runs a day for two weeks straight. To really build the muscle memory and experience is so important on tracks all over the world. And then when we aren’t able to take that amount of runs, we do visualization.
Correction: In our January 26 issue's feature on Food Insecurity in the Fraser Valley, we misspelled the last names of Kyle Baillie, Taelyr Keeley, and Larissa Kowalski.
Photo credit: Mareks Galinovskis
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VOL. 30 // ISSUE 3
Natalie Corless Natalie Corless is an 18-year-old luger from Whistler, BC, who has competed in both singles and doubles since 2018. Coming in second place at the Youth Olympic Games in 2020, Corless is trying her hand at singles in Beijing. The Cascade got the opportunity to talk to Corless while she was in Germany, competing in the World Cup circuit. Corless came in 16th place on Feb. 8.
“Just six months ago, I didn’t even know this was a possibility.” You have won many doubles races as well as singles; are you excited to race by yourself or will you be missing another person on the luge with you? There’s definitely aspects of [doubles] that I’ll miss. Everyone starts out luge sliding Photo credit: Luge Canada
I read that you immediately fell in love with luge the first time you tried it when you were 11 years old. What exactly made the sport so appealing to you? I think for me, it was just something so unique. I didn’t really even know what luge was before I had tried it the first time. It’s such a niche community of athletes and
you get to know everyone, which makes it such a family sport in a way. You know everyone that you compete against, which, to me, is really cool.
You will be competing in singles luge in Beijing next month, your first time at the Olympics. What are you feeling right now? Definitely a mix of excitement and a little bit of anxiousness, I think. This has been my first year on the senior World Cup circuit. It’s kind of been a lot this season,
singles, and that’s what I was doing for so long. [Then] when women’s doubles got introduced as a discipline, my teammate and friend and I started sliding together. And that definitely took us to a lot of really amazing places in the sport. But all in
all, I’ve always really enjoyed sliding singles. It’s kinda nice to have all the control yourself.
I read that luge was one of the fastest sports in the Winter Olympics. What are you feeling when you’re sliding down the track at such great speeds? There’s always moments in the sport where fear comes out a little bit, especially
starting at a new track with new speeds and new skills, but it’s easy to turn that fear into excitement and that’s kind of something that I’ve learned throughout my time
in the sport, is how to accept the fear and work with it, which is a pretty cool skill to
have. It’s definitely such a unique sport and yet I can still take so much out of it that I can use in my day-to-day life.
getting used to competing against all the best names in the sport. Now, at the end of the season, it’s the biggest event of someone’s career. It’s been a lot happening very quickly, but in some ways that makes it just so much more exciting.
What is your training like for this sport? What’s your typical day as a full time World Cup athlete?
What has the preparation been like leading up to the Olympics?
It’s pretty much a full-time job. I’ve been on the road for months, but a normal train-
Well, probably about six months ago, I didn’t even know that this was going to be
a possibility. Last year, because of COVID-19, I didn’t even travel to compete. I was just at home in Whistler the whole season training. This season, I left home in the
beginning of October and I’ve been in Europe ever since. So, it’s been a super long season, which definitely has its challenges of its own. Preparation wise, I just took
the season one race at a time, which was definitely a steep learning curve as my first year on the circuit. It was definitely just a step-by-step process and eventually I got the results in order to qualify, which was amazing.
What is the World Cup circuit? Is it basically the preliminary events leading up to the Olympics? Every year, there’s a certain amount of World Cup races that happen across Europe, and there’s normally a few in North America, which unfortunately didn’t happen
this year because of COVID-19. So, we traveled around to all the different tracks in Europe, and we also went to Russia this year. And through those races, you gain
points depending on where you place. In an Olympic year, those points will help you qualify your spots for the Olympics.
ing day on a World Cup circuit week would be two to three runs in a day. We really only get three minutes of sliding a day, so you gotta make the most of it. And then
normally a gym session as well, because a big part of sliding is the start. The stron-
ger you are, the faster you can start, the faster you’re going to go. Days always seem
pretty full because you can be at the track for almost three hours trying to get in your three minutes of sliding.
When you train with all the other nations, the sessions can have up to 20 sleds and
the sessions will span out throughout the day, and then you get to the track an hour early to warm up and get ready, and then pack up and leave after. So all in all, you know, it can be a pretty long day at the track.
What is the best piece of advice you can give to our readers as an Olympian? My biggest thing would probably be perseverance. Just six months ago, I didn’t even know this was a possibility. I’ve gone through a lot of ups and downs in my sliding career. Lots of times I wanted to quit as things got hard. But going to the Olym-
pics now just shows how much sticking to something, keeping your head up, and
In what other ways has COVID-19 affected the competitions this year?
pushing forward, can lead to success. My advice is definitely to just keep pushing, because you never know what can happen.
We probably get tested once or twice a week, generally before every race week.
Every time we travel to a new place, we’ll get tested. But, you know, there’s always
tests thrown in here and there, especially before the games; we’re getting tested a lot. You lose a little bit of the social aspects [of the games]. You don’t have spectators at the race, which makes it a little tough sometimes.
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“Just keep pushing because you never know what can happen.”
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 09, 2022
Reid Watts
Do you think the tricky nature will make the races more even? Yeah, definitely. The uniqueness of the track, but also because of the lack of runs
Reid Watts found his passion for hurtling
everyone had. The big teams, like the Latvians, the Germans, the Austrians, the Ital-
himself down hill at the age of nine when he
ians, we’ve all had the exact same amount of runs here, which really gives it an even
saw a bobsleigh race. At the age of 14, Watts
playing field.
competed on the junior national team; in 2016 he won a bronze medal at the Youth Olympics,
There are some tracks in Germany where the European teams had so many runs
and represented Canada at the 2018 Pyeongchang
down they built the perfect sled setups for the tracks. But right now, here in Beijing,
Winter Olympics. The Cascade was able to meet
we’re all very even with each other. It really is anyone’s game. That’s what’s super
with Watts just as he landed in Beijing and started training at the Yanqing Sliding Centre. Watts came in 17th place on Feb. 6.
Photo credit: Luge Canada
exciting about the Olympics.
What was the biggest difference between the Youth Olympics and real Olympics?
When you had your first slide, how did your mom react the moment she realized how fast her baby was going down a race track made of ice?
The Youth Olympics is definitely a bit of a dress rehearsal for the Olympics. I was
Well, of course, when you start at a young age, they don’t just send you off the top
living, the way all the transportation works, the big food hall.
hasn’t aged into it all that well. Apparently she really struggles to come out and
There’s a lot going on. We were a bunch of kids at the time. So it’s super easy to get
and wish you the best of luck. Especially as a nine year old. Honestly, my mom watch me at the track. But I think that’s a pretty common racing thing.
actually pretty surprised how similar everything was. The general vibe of village
excited and distracted. But no, the Olympics [are] a much bigger step, way more
press, way more media, way more competition. It’s definitely a good step to kind of test the waters of what the show is actually all about.
Where on the track do you start training and how long until you start going down from the top? When I started in Whistler, we started near the bottom of the track at corners 13
through 16. [We only go] through about four corners – still enough surface to speed up to a slow, but comfortable, 70 kilometers an hour, and a good taste for the sport.
Then, you slowly move your way up the track as you get more familiar with every-
thing. The process of starting at the top of tracks can take years. There’s a lot to learn – basic body position, driving points. The coaching staff has safety as their number one priority, so they’ll only send you further up and progress higher when they know you’re ready.
Does each track race and feel different, like in car racing?
How does a team relay work? What should the viewers know about the technicalities of this race? It’s a really interesting event to watch. The way it all works is the fastest woman,
man, and one doubles team lineup at each racer’s starting gate. The girl goes down the track. And just shortly after the finish line, there’s a pad where you sit up, you whack the pad. As soon as you hit the pad, the gate opens for the next racer. A
reaction starts as soon as the gate opens, I go down, hit the pad, then the doubles go
down and hit the pad to finish the team’s run. The fastest run wins. It’s definitely the most exciting event to watch. And that’s also the one where we have our best chance to throw down a serious time.
COVID-19 obviously has affected your training, but how has it affected the logistics end of a more niche sport? It’s been huge, to say the least. Last year, for instance, we stayed in Whistler mostly,
A hundred per cent. Every track is completely different. They have their own char-
and we missed the first half of the World Cup races, so opted to stay back in Canada.
super unique, there’s really nothing like this one. It’s incredibly long and has tricky
year.
acteristics and personalities. It’s exactly like car racing. The track here in Beijing is sections and corners that have interesting pressure points top to bottom, so you
really have to steer the sled just right to get the optimum line for the best time. It’s a really cool challenge to go down.
Which wasn’t as much racing as we would’ve liked to do coming into an Olympic
It’s been a massive stressor. A positive [COVID-19] test here could potentially keep you out of competing in China. Before, we could really take action to control and
avoid getting COVID-19. Now, you’ve got to worry about [more] with the way the
Omicron variant’s been spreading. Now [that] we’re in China, in a more controlled environment, it is a big weight off [our] shoulders.
With COVID-19 and the controversies surrounding China hosting these Olympics, does that build pressure on you as athletes and representing Canada? There’s no doubt there is controversy in the world, but I personally keep that really separate. I’m here to slide for Canada. I’m doing this for Canada. And my bigger goal is to get children who, like me, [to] always dream of going to the Olympics
believing they can. We have a young team, and we’re products of the 2010 Olympic legacy. We learned how to slide in the Whistler sliding center. When I’m home I go
trackside and help coach the kids who are going to be on the next generation Team Canada.
Interviews edited for length and clarity.
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VOL. 30 // ISSUE 03
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2022
CULTURE
culture@ufvcascade.ca Steve Hartwig — Culture Editor
Column //
Column //
Cascade Kitchen: Greek Orzo Salad
Campus Fashion: Buttoning up in style The constant presence of the timeless button down shirt RACHEL TAIT
Greek Orzo Salad. 2022. (Sydney Marchand/The Cascade)
SYDNEY MARCHAND The Cascade Kitchen is a student-run food column that brings you budget-friendly recipes and cooking tips. Check back bi-weekly for something new to try in the kitchen, or if you want to see your own recipe featured next, get started by reaching out to culture@ufvcascade.ca.
Juice from 1 lemon Salt and pepper to taste To serve: Crumbled feta or a dairy-free alternative (I like the Violife brand) Pita bread Hummus Tzatziki
Orzo is technically a pasta, but its shape more closely resembles barley or rice. It has a very satisfying texture and is a great addition to soups or salads. It’s not Method: something that I often reach for (honestly, I don’t remember the last time I 1. Cook the orzo according to package directions. Do not overcook. Drain used it), but in an effort to use up some and rinse under cold running wapantry ingredients, I decided to whip up ter. Make sure the pasta has cooled this pasta salad. It is easy to make, cheap, down before moving on to the next incredibly filling and pretty damn delistep. cious. I made a big batch of it to keep in 2. In a large bowl, add the orzo, cucummy fridge for quick lunches. ber, bell pepper, tomato, and olives. Cook time: 15 minutes Serves: 4 3. Add lemon juice, salad dressing, and salt and pepper to taste. You can Ingredients: adjust the seasonings to your preference by adding more/less dressing 2 cups orzo, dry or lemon juice. Mix well. ½ cucumber, diced 4. Top with feta and serve with pita. 1 red or orange bell pepper, diced Hummus and tzatziki also make 1 large tomato, diced great additions to this delicious dish. ½ cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced ⅓ cup Greek salad dressing, store-bought 5. Enjoy!
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The white button down shirt is an iconic essential for student wardrobes that never goes out of style. This year, variations of the classic button down are emerging in the early spring lines at local clothing stores and thrift shops, and it never fails to pop out from the line up of men’s and women’s shirts. The white button down shirt can be worn all year round and it goes with everything. It can dress up a pair of denim jeans, or pairs well with a blazer and dress pants for an interview. As the spring weather approaches, investing in this versatile piece can go a long way. While the white colour is not always easy to maintain for everyday wear, the neutral hue is flattering for most skin tones in much the same way that black looks great on anyone. Having a fitted white button down shirt can add elegance to your wardrobe, or it can be slightly oversized and relaxed in fit for a more casual style. A boyfriend-style shirt can also serve as a great piece to wear to cover up a bathing suit or pair up with denim shorts in the summertime. Whatever the weather, the white button down shirt is a style that can be worn at any time of the year and maintain a chic and sophisticated look for the wearer. While a clean, classic oxford collared shirt looks great with a suit or tucked into a pencil skirt for a more professional
business look, a loose white button down is more boxy and loose fitting. This relaxed look is perfect for a casual day out with friends, layered over a t-shirt, jeans, and ankle boots. Variations of the white button down shirt come in different materials, styles and lengths. It can come in short, long, or ¾ sleeves, mandarin collar, or collarless. This fashion style can be worn tied in a knot at the bottom, tucked in, cropped, half tucked, or not at all. White button down shirts can also have epaulets or roll up sleeves with tabs and unique designs to give more versatility to the blouse. In addition, the white button down shirt has been worn by iconic movie stars like Audrey Hepburn, Cameron Diaz, Anne Hathaway, Daniel Craig, Cary Grant, and Chris Hemsworth. White button down shirts can be styled in numerous ways, and flatters all body types and age groups. This classic piece never goes out of style and can be found in local thrift shops for a fraction of the retail price. If white is not a colour that works well with your lifestyle, different colours are available such as khaki, olive green, denim, chambray blue, or black. If you are very bold and daring, a bright colour such as hot pink, red, or yellow are good alternatives to consider wearing this spring as the sun shines and the flowers bloom all around. Investing in a button down shirt may be just what you need to spruce up your wardrobe!
Button down shirts. Oct. 20, 2020. (Nimble Made / Unsplash)
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2022
VOL. 30 // ISSUE 03
CULTURE Lifestyle //
Martial arts practice can be a versatile way to challenge oneself Introduce a unique blend of physical, mental and emotional wellbeing with Eastern practices STEVE HARTWIG If there’s any hobby, activity, or sport that combines physical exercise with philosophy, science, and ethics, it’s martial arts. After thousands of years of tradition and development, martial arts have continued to gain notoriety for improving a person’s physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. Since the 1950’s, when martial arts first appeared in North American popular media, martial arts’ popularity has continued to increase thanks to a variety of popular media coverage spotlighting famous martial artists in magazines, TV, and film, and today, most modern streaming services offer martial arts programming 24/7 all over the world. I first started studying martial arts as a young teenager. I lived in a rough area during rough times and this required a certain level of awareness, self-confidence, and some modicum of skill in defending oneself. When I first joined martial arts, I didn’t realize that the benefits of traditional training far exceeded the physical skills I was looking to learn.
I quickly realized I was benefitting from the intellectual training as much, or more, than I was from the hours of hard, physical workouts. My first teachers incorporated a considerable amount of philosophy — both Eastern and Western — ethics, and personal development through the study of classic books like Miyamoto Musashi’s The Book of Five Rings, Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, or Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich. After reading a chosen book, students were required to write a book review. I learned to write my first essays not in high school, but in the martial arts training hall. I began martial arts to channel my energy and learn to defend myself — or so I thought. I immediately liked sparring — practice fighting in a variety of forms — because it was fun, action-packed, and it was easy to keep my focus on someone wanting to kick, strike, or throw me around. But other elements of training, like social gatherings and research study sessions, started to have a greater influence on me. I found mentors and friends that significantly improved the quality of my life and
wanted to see me succeed. This was an enormous change from the people I was hanging around with and that maintained a negative or harmful outlook on life. The complex practices and teachings from thousands of years ago were much more difficult to grasp and required as much repetition as the countless punches, kicks, and throwing techniques did. However, somewhere in the midst of it all, I realized something was changing. My family and friends noticed it too. I was starting to find parts of myself that I really liked — bringing me self-confidence. I stopped hanging out with a group of troubled teens, many intent on growing into petty criminals, reputable fighters, and gangsters, because I would rather go to martial arts practice and prepare for the next presentation, competition, or belt grading. I found something that helped me look for the good in what I did every day, instead of sitting around or falling victim to whatever the streets or next party could provide. Unlike team sports where I could rely on my teammates, martial arts put all the responsibility on me. This is the beauty of
both traditional and modern martial arts — the results are intrinsically tied to the individual’s study, repetitive practice, and performance. Often, martial arts competition and performances require considerable intellectual and psychological preparations to deal with common feelings of peer-pressure, discomfort, or fear. Often, the martial arts I participated in also offered different forms of meditation, cultural practices, and even travel opportunities for immersion in foreign communities for weeks, months, or years at a time. Due to COVID-19, the days of going to local martial arts schools or dojos have been restricted or even shut down. The pandemic has had a considerable impact on everyone, but can the isolation really impact us that much? According to a CTV article, too much time alone can lead to a lowering of self-esteem and confidence. After thirty-nine years of martial arts study, I’ve come to rely on many elements of the training to help me deal with the pandemic blues, the “Quarantine 15,” and waning confidence in myself or the world around me.
UFV //
Finally legit, Sheri-D Wilson’s spoken word journey Talking to the current Writer in residence about her path to becoming an acclaimed spoken word poet and her role at UFV; helping students to do the same ALLISON HOLCIK At the beginning of the Winter 2022 semester, UFV welcomed its newest Writer in residence, Sheri-D Wilson, through the Kuldip Gill Writing Fellowship. Wilson, who had been friends with Gill before her passing in 2009, decided to apply for the fellowship to honour and represent her friend at UFV and to carry on her legacy as a poet. Wilson is a nationally acclaimed poet, having published 13 books, four short films, and four music and poetry albums. When talking to Wilson, a few things become clear right away: her passion for poetry, love for her work as a ceremonialist, and her overwhelming kindness and determination to make the world better. During a dance class in Banff at age 11, Wilson was hooked on the art form of poetry. This led to a life-long passion for writing which she nourishes to this day and has used to build up both the writing and general community. Through her work she fights for equality and social justice, putting on spoken word festivals in multiple languages which cover topics including violence against women, Indigenous activism, and bullying. Through the fellowship, Wilson has been
made available to UFV students as a guide into the world of poetry and its publication, and as a spiritualist who will support and nourish their creativity while offering sage words of advice. Her best counsel: “do the work. Even when it means you are missing out on something you want to do, do the work. Never not show up. Even if you only write for 15 minutes a day, get into an inspired mode and write.” When Wilson first got involved with poetry, spoken word did not exist. She travelled to the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics in Boulder, Colorado, and studied with great poets like Michael McClure, Anne Waldman and Allen Ginsberg. She worked with the Beatniks and “analysed how poetry could live in the body and how the physical form can help inform the poetry and also make the poetry come alive.” This was the start of “performative poetry,” though no one knew it at the time. “People say, ‘Oh, you had a lot to do with [developing spoken word],” said Wilson. “I’m like, I did. I didn’t know I did at the time. At the time, I was just playing and exploring and being wild.” The idea of wildness is important to Wilson’s vision. In her spare time, she works as a ceremonialist, leading people
through the transformative, wild parts of their lives, like birth, marriage, and death. This is represented in her poetry, through her creativity and exploration of difficult ideas, and through her continued building up of community. She has spent her life “fighting for and standing for the equality of people.” Wilson has become an integral part of Canada’s art community, following her philosophy of doing the work. “If you do the work, everything else will follow,” said Wilson. “But if you want all the things without doing the work, that will not follow. So you do the work. You get your education, you read the books, you give back, you volunteer, you go in, read your poems at a gallery. Do what’s necessary. Write your bio, show up on time. And if your poem wakes you up in the middle of the night, you get up and you go and write.” One part of Wilson’s story which acted as a guide for her career as a poet was the understanding that you have to seek out your teachers. They are not going to find you, so you have to pursue them. Get your knowledge “from the people you honour and respect. I pursued those people and studied with them. And I was lucky; they took me under their wing.” Now, as a men-
tor and teacher for others, Wilson offers insight to young poets and writers who are trying to answer the question “how do you become a poet?” Wilson said that a student recently told her, “‘It’s such an honour to meet you, because you legitimise me.’ It was kind of ironic, because I was always a cutting edge writer, but she went into a bookstore with her father, and he said, ‘why can’t you be like these writers?’ And she grabbed one of my books off the shelf and said, ‘See? She’s a spoken word artist. She’s here,’ and her dad said, ‘You can use her to legitimise you, then.’ And I thought that was funny, that I am now legit. I have the power, apparently, to legitimise others.” If you need legitimising, or just a coffee and a chat with a globally recognized spoken word artist, Sheri-D Wilson is available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. until April 1 for office hours. She is available for Zoom or in-person meetings and can be contacted at Sheri-D.Wilson@ufv.ca “They can come and just have tea. They can come and talk to me and bring their writing. They can talk about life, Kuldip Gill, whatever they like.”
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VOL. 30 // ISSUE 03
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2022
SPORTS
sports@ufvcascade.ca Teryn Midzain— Sports Editor
Recap //
The Cascades show the dual faces of romance as the season of love begins TERYN MIDZAIN February, a controversial month that, like the new and budding romances Hallmark likes to cater to, shows tests in nature. The weather embodies the sunshine and trauma that some hearts must face through the month of love, as they fight through the woes of winter in hopes of being renewed come spring. For varsity sports, this February has had many emotional ups and downs for our teams. Our women’s volleyball and basketball teams warmed our hearts with wins over the weekend. Sadly, for the Cascades men’s teams, February has been more down than up for them as the men’s basketball team won two out of three of their road games and the men’s volleyball team took triple losses. Amanda Matsui led the women’s volleyball team to another weekend sweep in their first conference home openers last weekend. Matsui scored more than 30 kills between the two games and was named one of Canada West’s players of the week Tuesday. Rookie Mo Likness played two fantastic games, coming up big whenever
the team needed her. The Cascades only lost one set on Friday and closed the night out 3-1. Saturday’s match had both teams going the distance. The sets were scrappy, the teams nearly scoring point-by-point and run-by-run throughout the match, until the Cascades finally beat the Wolfpack in the fifth set. The double wins mark a four-game winning streak for the Cascades, whose record is now 5-5, and they start looking towards the playoffs. The double dates between the Cascades’ and Thompson Rivers’ basketball teams were rescheduled to Feb. 3 and left both the UFV teams with wins. The men’s 80-76 win saw Dylan Kinley have a career-high 22 points at the end of all four quarters. Zubair Seyed continued his hot streak with 17 points and an impactful court presence throughout the game. Dario Lopez, the freshman, was one rebound away from earning a double-double, but scored the last-minute bucket, and clutched the game. Over the weekend, the men’s team faced the UBCO Heat in Prince George and lost 91-79 to the home team. Even with Seyed’s 25 points, the early lead that the Heat was able to gain, combined with the dominant three-point shooting throughout the night,
left the men’s team feeling heartless the rest of the night. Jordyn Sekhon dropped a 30 point bomb Sunday afternoon, with nearly perfect shooting all around the court. Sekhon led the Cascades to clinch third place in their division with the 97-79 win. The Cascades women’s basketball team played their only game on Feb 3 — a solid game won 68-56 against TRU. While the game wasn’t as dominant and fluid as fans expected from the Cascades women, the team played solidly. Deanna Tuchscherer scored 24 points and six rebounds, and Maddy Gobeil earned another doubledouble, scoring 15 points and 10 rebounds. The women’s basketball team looks to regain their dominant form as they head to the city and the island for a pair of dates this weekend against UBC on Feb. 11 and UVic on Feb. 12. The women’s team has a good hold on the second place, but the two extra wins will help keep their chances to win Canada West strong. The next couple of weeks will test the basketball and volleyball teams. The men’s volleyball team will play a rescheduled game against TRU in Kamloops on Feb. 9, then head back home to play UBC alongside the women’s teams on Feb. 11 and 12.
World of Sports //
The Cincinnati Cinderella Chronicle The Cincinnati Bengals have battled through the NFL playoffs to try and make history TERYN MIDZAIN The cold winter months bring more than cozy sweaters, warm drinks, and holidays. It also brings out controversy, emotions, and passions between people — three words that can summarize the 2021/22 NFL playoffs this season. The quarterbacks (QB) on each playoff team have been superb and have led to some of the most heart-palpitating plays. Tom Brady announcing his retirement after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost has been one of the lower-tier highlights of the postseason. The real story has been the Cinderella story unfolding in front of our eyes as the Cincinnati Bengals, the team everyone had coined to choke against the American Football Conference (AFC) favorites, won those games and are playing in the Super Bowl this Sunday, Feb. 13. Joe Burrow's performance and leadership as the Bengals’ passionate and heartthrob QB has led to intelligent playmaking decisions that have kept the underdog team level-headed, even when playing against high-caliber teams. The Bengals’ other weapons include rookie wide-receiver Ja’Marr Chase, whose rendition of the “Griddy” dance has become a delight to watch after each touchdown. Chase gained 1,455 receiving yards this season, breaking the first-year rookie receiving record. The dynamic of the Burrow to Chase connection is nothing short of mystical, and they hold a spot among the top five most completed
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touchdown passes between a quarterback and receiver in their first season together. The final ace up Cincinnati’s sleeve is their kicker Evan McPherson. The star kicker has come in clutch these playoffs, kicking the game-winning field goals against the Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs that have seen the Bengals to the playoffs. Sunday marks the third Super Bowl appearance for the Cinderella Bengals, who played in the big game twice in the 1980’s. Their last appearance was in 1988 against the San Francisco 49ers, where they lost by one scoring chance. A win this Sunday would be the club’s first moment to wear the laurels and hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy, and the title of World Champions. The Bengals’ playoff run has been one of the sports fables of yore. The team best known for being the underdog of underdogs gets a perfect circumstance, the right players, the right attitude, and heart to come together for an amazing run for glory — rekindling the love for the game for the month of romance, and a run that the late icon, coach John Madden, would enthusiastically enjoy. The Cincinnati Bengals had a tough road to get in the Super “Ball.” Three wicked challenges stood in their way — starting with the favored Tennessee Titans in the Divisional Playoffs and the Kansas City Chiefs in the Conference finals. Kansas City took a large 18 point lead at the end of the first half; however, the Bengals’
defense managed to stop the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes from scoring more than three points in the entire second half. This bought the Bengals enough time and possessions to make the epic comeback that the underdogs needed to give Evan McPherson the chance to make another clutch field goal, giving all football fans the ability to watch this fairytale play out to the end. The third wicked challenge dwelled in the National Football Conference. Luckily, the Bengals will not have to face the San Francisco 49ers on any given Sunday in the NFC finals. The Rams return to the Super Bowl, a glamorous ball and event that the Los Angeles team is no stranger to. Feb. 13 marks the Rams' fifth Super Bowl game. They have made it to the championship twice in the last four years, but have only won the championship once, in 1999. The NFC team is no pushover either. The football club made smart and key trades throughout the 2021 season to build their Super Bowl contending roster. This will cost the L.A. team lower draft picks for the next few seasons, as well as building an expensive roster to keep a hold on with the salary cap. With the Rams’ great office management and acquisitions, and the Bengals’ phenomenal season, this final showdown should give a fair ending for teams that took drastically different approaches to go the distance.
UFV Cascades Sports Scores Feb. 4 – Feb. 6, 2022
Women’s Volleyball UFV Vs. TRU Wolfpack / Feb 4, 2022 Score: UFV 3 TRU 1 UFV Vs.TRU Wolfpack / Feb 5, 2022 Score: UFV 3 TRU 2
Men’s Volleyball UFV Vs. TRU Wolfpack / Feb 4, 2022 Score: UFV 0 TRU 3 UFV Vs. TRU Wolfpack / Feb 5, 2022 Score: UFV 2 TRU 3 UFV Vs. TRU Wolfpack / Feb 6, 2022 Score: UFV 1 TRU 3
Women’s Basketball UFV Vs. TRU Wolfpack / Feb 4, 2022 Score: UFV 68 TRU 56
Men’s Basketball UFV Vs. TRU Wolfpack / Feb 4, 2022 Score: UFV 80 TRU 76 UFV Vs. UBCO Heat / Feb 5, 2022 Score: UFV 79 UBCO 91 UFV Vs. UBCO Heat / Feb 6, 2022 Score: UFV 97 UBCO 79
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2022
VOL. 30 // ISSUE 03
STUDY BREAK Crossword //
Made by Steve Hartwig
ACROSS
DOWN
1. The world’s most listened to genre of music
2. Singer Jackson’s first name
3. Artist of “White Christmas”
5. The decade when Rock and Roll became a music genre
8. Winner of Billboard’s top artist award in 2021 9. BTS’s 2021 best selling song 12. Alka Yalnik was this video site’s top viewed music artist
4. Spotify’s most streamed global artist
6. The best selling music artist of all time 7. CBC Canada’s Top Canadian Song of 2021 sung by Bieber 10. Artist that created the song Rockin’ In the Free World 11. One of Rock and Roll’s most used instruments
Sudoku //
LAST ISSUE’S
ANSWERS: Across: 3. Vermillion 7. Amber 9. Blue 10. Purple 11. Yellow 12. Magenta
Horoscopes //
Down: 1. Violet 2. Green 4. Orange 5. Teal 6. Chartreuse 8. Red
Your weekly life predictions as told by Shiva the Sage
Aries — Mar 21 to Apr 19 Your cup is overflowing with love, romance, and connection. Maybe you’re entering a new partnership or feeling renewed passion for that special person in your life. This relationship might be in its early stages, but know that it has the potential to be deep and meaningful if you put the work in.
Leo — Jul 23 to Aug 22 You’ll experience a breakthrough in your romantic life this week. It may be in the form of making progress on yourself, understanding your partner’s perspective, or landing that date. Make the most of these opportunities.
Taurus — Apr 20 to May 20 You’ve been having a spark of inspiration in your love life recently. You have the motivation and the vision, and this is your sign to go for it. Try something new with your partner, ask that person out, or look for something equally thrilling to pursue.
Virgo —Aug 23 to Sep 22 Your love life is at a crossroads, and several opportunities are available to you. These options might be different potential partners, ways of going about a partnership, or maybe you’re considering becoming single. As a sign that gets caught up in the details, know that no option is wrong.
Gemini — May 21 to Jun 20 Your love life will be full of renewed hope. You’ve been dragged down by a period of turmoil, but the clouds are clearing ahead. Maybe there’s been a breach of trust in your relationship, or you’re afraid to explore the dating scene because of past experience. This is your chance to repair and reopen. Cancer —Jun 21 to Jul 22 There is abundance and joy ahead in your love life. You’re a sign full of compassion and care, and this week you should let that shine in your relationships. If you’re going through hard times, know that this warm energy will help your romance weather through them.
Libra — Sep 23 to Oct 22 Things haven’t turned out the way you wanted in your love life, and you’re feeling disappointment and regret this week. Know when it’s time to wallow and when it’s time to pick yourself up. You must let go of the past in order to move forward.
Scorpio — Oct 23 to Nov 21 The cards say you may or may not be terrorized by bats this week. They also say you may or may not invest in cryptocurrency while in the nude. Keep in mind my interpretation of the cards may be affected by having my pupils dilated earlier.
Sagittarius — Nov 22 to Dec 21 Your love life will require strength, patience, and inner calm from you. Whether that be staying committed during a rough patch, being there for your partner, or keeping the course during a period of long-distance. Don’t underestimate your own power, and know that it’s okay to falter. Capricorn — Dec 22 to Jan 19 The theme of your love life this week will be new beginnings and potential. Look to reinvigorate current relationships in your life or take the first step in putting yourself out there. Be excited, yes, and follow your heart, not your head.
Aquarius — Jan 20 to Feb 18 You’re facing a dilemma in your love life, and you’re unsure of which direction to take. You’ll want to carefully consider how to proceed by consulting with trusted loved ones, weighing the pros and cons, and checking in with yourself. Make sure you have all the necessary information to proceed. Pisces — Feb 19 to Mar 20 Your romantic ventures are calling for a moment of celebration. Be grateful for those in your life, commemorate a significant event, and spend quality time with each other. You’re feeling secure and supported, so now’s the time to take a moment to reflect and show your appreciation.
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VOL. 30 // ISSUE 03
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2022
ARTS
arts@ufvcascade.ca Danaye Reinhardt — Arts Editor
Movie //
CHARTS
SHUFFLE
1
Julie Doiron I Thought of You
2
Haviah Mighty Stock Exchang
3
Sue Foley Pinky's Blues
4
The Halluci Nation One More Saturday Night Modest Mouse — “Truckers
5
X62 Over Again (Single)
6 7 8 9 10 11
AARON LEVY RETIRED TRUCKER
CIVL Station Manager Aaron Levy knows there’s only one #1 item from Canada making the rounds right now in the international news cycle, so see if you can pick out which one he’s talking about before you get to song four!
This song is all about the drumbeat; a disjointed, almost funky low-fi affair, this song is a convoy House Wind of rhythmic inflections marking Great Art Is Our Weapon the centre to climax section of Of Choice: Melodies for this band’s standout 1997 record, Prepared Guitar, Vol. 4 The Lonesome Crowded West. See songs “Out of Gas” and “Shit Sean Casey Luck” for similar themes. On the Other Side of CoCorb Lund — “The Truck rona
Got Stuck”
Stephen Carl O'Shea Decade
This hurtin’ Albertan has always toed the line between facetiously Western conservatism and Teen Daze cheeky progressive virtue sigInterior nalling, but he definitely took a stance last year on some environNiphilim mental issues regarding mounThe Weight of the Gavel tain preservation in the face of Master (Single) mining development contracts threatening the range’s ecologiHenry Nozuka cal functionality. From the Echo of a Dream
12 13
The Weeknd Dawn FM
14
Stavros Hughes Entropia
15 Ada Lea
Radiohead — “Airbag” It’s not about a truck, or trucking, but the key piece of information to take away from this song is that “in a fast German car / I’m amazed that I survived / An airbag saved my life.” And that “in an interstellar burst / I am back to save the universe.” Know’m’say’n here?
one hand on the steering Grateful Dead — “Casey wheel the other sewing a Jones” garden Jessica Moss Phosphenes
17 Snail Mail Valentine
18 Snakeblade The Curse
19 Artach
Sworn to Avenge
20 Dan Edmonds
Good Fortune Assembly
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A sexy scientist, female president, and a comet on a collision course straight for Earth
Atlas”
Homeshake Under The Weather
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Don’t Look Up: the most depressing comedy you’ll ever watch
Is it me, or are these lyrics presciently relevant to the trucker convoy of the season? “Drivin that train / High on cocaine / Casey Jones you better / Watch your speed / Trouble ahead / Trouble behind / And you know that notion / Just crossed my mind?” Jerry Garcia will finally be immortalized in film.
ANDREA SADOWSKI As an avid fan of both dark comedy and Leonardo DiCaprio, I was excited to finally have the time to watch Don’t Look Up, an allegorical, satirical film written and directed by Adam McKay. The film did not release the same amount of dopamine in my brain that some of McKay’s other comedies like Anchorman did; on the contrary, I was left with a feeling of deep, anxiety-inducing doom, as the film mimicked real life events in such a believable way that left me feeling as if there is no hope for us left in this world. Don’t Look Up speaks to the absolute certainty that global warming is happening and there is only a finite amount of time we can spend trying to reverse the damage we have done and not destroy the earth entirely. The film follows some very passionate astronomers who discover a massive comet that will hit the earth in a matter of months, only to be met with resistance and disbelief when bringing that news to the public. The terror-inducing aspect of this movie is how much it parellels what is actually happening in our world today. Governments and political leaders know that the earth cannot keep pace with the relentless grind of capitalism, pollution, and natural-resource extraction, they know that we are at the precipice of no return when it comes to the absolute destruction of the planet, yet there is nothing being done to stop this other than empty promises made at pompous climate summits. At the Glasgow Summit, held near the end of 2021, countries made self-governed commitments to cut their emissions slightly by 2030. If politicians are going to lie to us about how they’re going to protect the planet, they should at least make false promises that will actually make a difference and inspire a glimmer of hope. The movie speaks to how well our governments and the media can gaslight the public and twist a story in a way that creates a toxic, negative divide that only further threatens our chances of survival as a species. The astronomers, played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence, attempted to explain the seriousness of this comet’s impact on the planet to Meryl Streep’s character, a caricature of former president Donald Trump. When asked how certain they are that this “planet-destroyer” will hit the earth, the astronomers insisted there was
a 100 per cent certainty of impact. The president and her advisors refused to acknowledge this and downplayed the looming disaster, saying that they would “sit tight and assess” the situation. While the plot of the movie was dark and sobering, the star-studded cast keeps you watching until the flaming end. Lawrence, playing a grad student who first discovered the comet, is known for playing “crazy” exceptionally well on screen. Her character melts into believable, anxiety-inducing hysteria that almost makes me forget about her firetruck red undercut complete with microbangs. DiCaprio, playing Lawrence’s professor, is appropriately labelled as the “sexy scientist” by the media, as he manages to still be jaw-droppingly hot playing a nerdy, middle-aged dad. The most unbelievable part of the film was seeing DiCaprio go home to his age-appropriate wife in the suburbs. Timothée Chalamet really was the delicious icing on top of this bitter-sweet cake of a movie, and I completely melted when his skater-boy character with a mullet started professing his love for Jesus. The extensive list of A-list stars featured in this film include: Jonah Hill, Cate Blanchett, Tyler Perry, and Ariana Grande. I have a strong prediction for how the end of humanity will play out, and this movie came scarily close to my forecast. If you’re rich and powerful, you will find a way to escape the planet you played such a great part in destroying. Don’t you think it’s awfully suspicious how fascinated billionaires are becoming with space travel? As much as this movie activated a visceral climate-rage deep inside my bones, it also made me want to fight for the sake of my children and grandchildren. Near the end of the film, as the characters reminisced on how crazy their lives had been since first discovering the comet, Lawrence said, teary-eyed, “I’m grateful we tried.” The film states in no uncertain terms that global warming is a very real and very dangerous reality that we must address now, as the downfall of this planet and every species on it is not far away. It asks the question: What are you doing with the time you have left? Are you pretending everything is okay and the powerful people in charge have it all figured out, or are you fighting tooth-and-nail to make changes that matter?
VOL. 30 // ISSUE 03
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2022
ARTS Rewind //
Why it matters that Frankenstein’s monster can’t speak in pop culture A slightly pretentious review of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein DANAYE REINHARDT For this Cascade Rewind, we’re really rewinding. Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein in 1818, which was 23 years before the stapler was invented. Now, you might think you know the story of Frankenstein: a mad scientist builds a corpse and brings it to life, only for the groaning, green monster to wreak destruction and go on a murder spree. There’s a reason this is a Halloween special. But Shelley’s novel follows a more nuanced, philosophical approach to a creature made from the dead. It’s true that Victor Frankenstein — more of a college dropout than a scientist or a doctor — robs graves and stitches together a body. But when I first read the book, I was shocked to find that the corpse-come-to-life is presented in a sympathetic light. He’s not a horror movie villain. He’s a creature shaped by his environment — an environment that rejects him at every turn. In Shelley’s novel, the monster learns to speak English, reads Paradise Lost and other literary works, and conveys arguments that allow the reader to sympathize with him. He speaks in full, articulate sentences. He feels human emotions. And — perhaps his most chilling trait — he’s intelligent. Rather than mindless killing from the hands of an ignorant monster, the novel’s murders are committed with the calculated purpose of caus-
ing Victor as much pain as possible. It might sound alarming that the monster is a calculated and sympathetic killer, but it’s hard to resist pity when he gives long speeches about how he’s been mistreated and rejected by society and his own creator, Victor. In popular culture, the monster speaks only in groans, but the novel’s monster gives us articulate lines like, “God, in pity, made man beautiful and alluring, after his own image; but my form is a filthy type of yours, more horrid even from the very resemblance.” Maybe Frankenstein feels like horror because of how easily I am swept up by the monster’s sympathetic side. A sob backstory doesn’t excuse horrendous crimes, but here I am, pitying the poor thing, feeling like Victor is more to blame than his creation. There is a momentous difference between culture’s monster and the novel’s monster. Popular culture presents him as villainous, non-human, one that cannot be reasoned with. Perhaps Shelley wanted to challenge a culture that doesn’t allow for nuance. Instead of simply monstrous, she presents him as morally grey, sympathetic, complex. And maybe this is a reflection of our culture, that we would rather have a monster that we cannot understand than a monster that we can pity. Because what sort of people would we be if we allowed a monster to speak his mind? It’s much easier to have a monster who only groans.
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Note:
Some of these events require tickets, and most are online. If something catches your eye, take to the internet for more details, including those about social distancing measures for in-person events.
Community Event UFV Event Sports
februaray
Arts Event Culture
Bold Strokes Art Exhibition @ Kariton Art Gallery, online and inperson Yoga 4 Self Care @ Abbotsford E105, 12:05 - 12:45 p.m. UFV Circle K Meeting @ Abbotsford, A233, 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. Abbotsford Canucks vs. Tucson Roadrunners @ Abbotsford Centre, 7:00 p.m. Intramural: Co-ed Spikeball @ Abbotsford E105, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Yoga 4 Self Care @ CEP A2106, 8:40 - 9:20 a.m. Strength & Conditioning @ Abbotsford E100, 11:25 - 12:05 p.m. Intramural: Co-ed Volleyball @ South Gym E 175, 8:00 - 10:00 p.m.
UFV Blood Drive @ Evered Hall, all day Yoga 4 Self Care @ CEP A2106, 9:00 - 9:40 a.m. Zumba @ Abbotsford E150, 12:05 - 12:45 p.m. UCM Thursday Gathering @ Abbotsford, A402, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. Nietzsche Reading Group @ Online, 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. Intramural: Men’s Basketball @ Abbotsford South Gym, 8:30 - 10:30 p.m.
Yoga 4 Self Care @ CEP A2106 9:00 - 9:40 a.m. Zumba @ Abbotsford E150, 12:05 - 12:45 p.m. UFV SUS Public Board Meeting @ Online, 2:00 p.m. Cascades Men’s Volleyball vs. TWU @ Abbotsford North Gym, 6:00 p.m. UCM Thursday Gathering @ Abbotsford, A402, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. Nietzsche Reading Group @ Online, 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. Cascades Women’s Volleyball vs. TWU @ Abbotsford NorthGym, 8:00 p.m.
Fraser Valley Home & Garden Expo @ Abbotsford Tradex, 1:00 - 9:00 p.m. Portfolio Management @ Abbotsford, C1015, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. International Day of Women and Girls in Science Movie Night @ Online, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Cascades Men’s Volleyball vs. UBC @ Abbotsford North Gym, 6:00 p.m. Cascades Women’s Volleyball vs. UBC @ Abbotsford North Gym, 8:00 p.m. Abbotsford Canucks vs. Manitoba Moose @ Abbotsford Centre, 7:00 p.m.
Fraser Valley Home & Garden Expo @ Abbotsford Tradex, 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Cascades Men’s Volleyball vs. UBC @ Abbotsford North Gym, 4:00 p.m. Cascades Women’s Volleyball vs. UBC @ Abbotsford North Gym, 6:00 p.m. Abbotsford Canucks vs. Manitoba Moose @ Abbotsford Centre, 7:00 p.m.
Fraser Valley Home & Garden Expo @ Abbotsford Tradex, 10:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Yoga 4 Self Care @ Abbotsford E150, 12:05 - 12:45 p.m. Intramural: Co-ed Futsal Soccer @ North Gym E105, 8:00 - 10:00 p.m.
Yoga 4 Self Care @ CEP A2106, 1:10 - 1:50 p.m. Culture, Coffee & Cookies @ The Reach Gallery, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
UFV PSA Presents Networking Night @ Online, 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. Portfolio Management @ Abbotsford, C1015, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Cascades Men’s Basketball vs. Victoria @ Abbotsford North Gym, 6:00 p.m. Cascades Women’s Basketball vs. Victoria @ Abbotsford North Gym, 8:00 p.m.
Cascade’s Men’s Basketball vs. Vikes @ Abbotsford North Gym, 3:00 p.m. Cascade’s Women’s Basketball vs. Vikes @ Abbotsford North Gym, 5:00 p.m. Concert: Chris Lane @ Abbotsford Centre, 7:00 p.m.
UFV Reading Week @ No Classes Cascade’s Men’s Volleyball vs. UBCO @ Abbotsford North Gym, 4:00 p.m. Cascade’s Women’s Volleyball vs. UBC) @ Abbotsford North Gym, 6:00 p.m.
Family Day: UFV Closed Cascade’s Men’s Volleyball vs. UBCO @ Abbotsford North Gym, 1:00 p.m. Cascade’s Women’s Volleyball vs. UBCO @ Abbotsford North Gym, 3:00 p.m.
