The Cascade Volume 30 Issue 09

JUNE 1, 2022

VOLUME 30 ISSUE 09

Totally ok since 1993

Enda ngered spec ies of the Fra ser Va lley

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ue to humancaused climate change and the destruction and pollution of habitat, animal and plant species are becoming extinct and we are los-

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ON-CAMPUS HOUSING EXPANSION

ing precious biodiversity at an unprecedented rate.

According to a report by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES),

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20 per cent of all native plant and animal species around the world have been lost in the last 100 years. These numbers are only projected to accelerate — we’re talking about

SIM CITY. REAL MONEY.

a mass-extinction-level event. Experts suggest that unless governments take protective measures, one million species are threatened by extinction.

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CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

KENDRICK LAMAR’S NEW ALBUM

VOL. 30 // ISSUE 09

Creative Director Elyssa English elyssa@ufvcascade.ca

News Editor Rachel Tait rachel@ufvcascade.ca

Copy Editor Maecyn Klassen maecyn@ufvcascade.ca

Digital Media Manager Jeff Mijo-Burch jeff@ufvcascade.ca Varsity Writer Esher Sira Photographer Laura Ayres Production Assistant Aayush Bhatia Staff Writer Allison Holcik Distributor Gurtaj Dhami Illustrator Lindsey Roberts

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Opinion Editor Kait Thompson kait@ufvcascade.ca Sports Editor Teryn Midzain teryn@ufvcascade.ca Arts in Review Editor Danaye Reinhardt Danaye@ufvcascade.ca Production Assistant Niusha Naderi Staff Writer Brad Duncan

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Staff Writer Kellyn Kavanagh Illustrator Iryna Presley Illustrator Brielle Quon

The Shuffler Aaron Levy

CONTRIBUTORS Caleb Campbell

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ARTS

Culture & Events Editor Anisa Quintyne anisa@ufvcascade.ca

Features Editor Andrea Sadowski andrea@ufvcascade.ca

FEATURE

Jr. News Emmaline Spencer emmaline@ufvcascade.ca

OPINION

Production Manager Elyssa English elyssa@ufvcascade.ca

CONTENTS NEWS

Managing Editor Sydney Marchand sydney@ufvcascade.ca

CULTURE

Executive Editor Andrea Sadowski andrea@ufvcascade.ca

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WWW.UFVCASCADE.CA @UFVCASCADE FACEBOOK.COM/UFVCASCADE INSTAGRAM.COM/UFVCASCADE Volume 30 · Issue 09 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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Snapshots.......5

17.......Study Break

NEWS Professor Profile......3

4...... Student Housing

Teaching and Learning Centre......4 OPINION Conscious Consumer.......6

6.......Sex and Relationships

The eco gender gap.......7

7.......Sim city. Real money.

Editorial........8 CULTURE Cascade Kitchen.......12

12....... Campus Fashion

Interview with Jake Holmes.......13

14....... Vertical farming

SPORTS 15....... Interview with Sukhjot Bains

Interview with Lucy Park......15

15....... NHL Battle of Alberta

J. Cole signs with Scarborough.......16 ARTS The Bad Guys......18 Kendrick Lamar's new album .....19

19......The Ultimatum

VOL. 30 // ISSUE 09

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2022

news@ufvcascade.ca News Editor — Rachel Tait

NEWS

Column //

Professor Profile: Dr. Evan Taylor working with Queering Cancer to assist LGBTQ+ cancer patients KELLYN KAVANAGH Dr. Evan Taylor (they/them) is an assistant professor of social work and human services at UFV. Their research focuses on gender, sexuality, and marginalized groups. In 2020, with the help of Meghan McInnis, Amanda Bolderston, and Mary Morgan, they launched a new initiative called “Queering Cancer,” which aims to provide resources and help to those on the LGBTQ+ spectrum living with cancer. A couple years after the initial launch, the program is now moving towards a more education-based approach. They provide training materials to schools and health care providers, in order to raise awareness of how the queer community is doubly impacted by cancer.

Queering Cancer was launched in 2020 and was aimed at providing knowledge and resources to LGBTQ+ people living with cancer, correct?

Yeah. The website launched live Oct. 27, 2020. However we actually started planning the project in 2018, when we first connected. The Canadian Institute for Health and Research had a call for grant proposals. Each of us responded individually and we met via that program, where we got placed together in what they call a “design jam.” We were all looking at

different aspects of how queer identities were being impacted, and we all decided to merge our ideas together into one larger project, which became Queering Cancer.

Can you shed more light on how LGBTQ+ people are further impacted by cancer within the medical field?

There's a doubling up of stigma that happens. People who are queer and trans are already having difficulty in healthcare, trying to access care, and being treated with basic respect. There’s that, but then in cancer care there's the trajectory of treatment. It’s quite standardized for everybody, and you go from one place to another place to another place, and you're kind of bounced around the system. It places this extra burden on gender and sexual minority patients to constantly out themselves to their practitioners. It might be really important to how they experienced treatment. For instance, a trans man who is being treated for breast cancer treatment is going to often find himself in a women's ward. He's going to be sitting in a women's waiting room. How is that comfortable for that patient?

You’ve stated that Queering Cancer is now focusing its attention on curating educational resources for medical professionals to work more competently with queer folks accessing care. What

will that end up looking like?

What I would love to do a few years down the road is develop an accredited continuing education program for professionals entering the medical field, social work, counseling, etc. Basically an additional or professional development credit; that would be my long-term ideal. Right now, we're in the place of trying to develop training modules and content for current professionals — helping those in the community right now.

One last thing I wanted to ask you: will there be any opportunities for students at UFV to get involved with Queering Cancer?

That's an interesting question. What I can tell you is that there will be a work study position coming up in winter 2023.

What we're hoping to do at that point is conduct some interviews with educators, providers, and patients and start to look at establishing an evidence-based curriculum. The other thing that I would say, particularly for students who are involved in health fields, is look critically into how

Photo courtesy of Evan Taylor

gender and sexual marginality really impact people's experiences of health and their health risks. I also think an important piece is to recognize that cancer itself is something that affects all of us. Folks that are a part of the gender and sexually minoritized communities are going to be experiencing additional impacts. Ask yourself: what can you do to be an ally to those people in your life? For folks going through treatments, it can be really taxing and draining. It's always good to connect with people in your life and just ask them: what do you need? Sometimes something as simple as picking up the mail or bringing over a casserole can be super helpful for folks.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity

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VOL. 30 // ISSUE 09

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2022

NEWS UFV //

NEWS BRIEFS

Abbotsford on-campus housing will expand almost three times in capacity New plan to expand and improve student residency at UFV

Monkeypox outbreaks There has been a monkeypox outbreak in multiple countries, including Canada. As of May 26, there were 25 confirmed cases and approximately 30 more under investigation in Quebec. There are currently no known cases in B.C. The rise in outbreaks in countries where the virus is not endemic is considered concerning to some global health officials.

The World Health Organization is presently asking people to take precautionary measures, such as frequent hand washing, and to isolate if they have the virus. Monkeypox is a known virus that can be easily contained if treated properly.

- Emmaline Spencer

RACHEL TAIT On May 13, it was announced that there would be a multi-million dollar expansion in UFV’s student housing as part of the Homes for BC plan. This is the largest funding announcement UFV has ever made to date.

This expansion will enable almost three times the students to live on campus: from 200 to 598 beds on the Abbotsford campus. The funding needed for this $82.3 million project was broken down by Dave Pinton, UFV’s director of communications. For the student housing building, UFV has been given a non-repayable grant of $35.6 million by the province; another $26.5 million is a repayable loan through the Student Housing Loan Program, and an additional $11.4 million will be invested by UFV. There will also be a dining hall expansion, called the Cascade Cafe, with an estimated cost of $8.6 million. For this project, UFV received $8 million in funding from the Province, and the remainder will be funded by UFV. “There is a student housing shortage

at the Abbotsford campus as well as a lack of affordable housing in the Fraser Valley,” Pinton said, adding that it becomes stressful for students when there is not enough housing at the university and they need to look for accommodations elsewhere.

“This new building will alleviate that pressure and help inject new life into the campus,” said Pinton. He adds that “now 600 people will call UFV home and live where they study.”

Annually, there is a wait list that consists of over 75 students who are looking for on-campus housing at Lá:lem te Baker, according to Pinton. While there is no set price for renting the new accommodations yet, they are expected to be more affordable than other housing options in the community.

“The goal is to provide modern, affordable, and convenient housing — and an alternative to looking for expensive accommodation in a very tight local rental market,” Pinton said.

The housing project will begin construction around the start of 2023 and is estimated to be complete by fall 2024.

The new building will be in the vicinity of Building G in parking lot 10, where the Peter Jones Learning Centre and UHouse are located. The building itself will be six stories tall and will have various retail stores and other services for students located on the ground floor.

The university created different value statements for this housing project to honour the Stó:lō Temexw people and their lands. These statements include integrity, inclusivity, community, and excellence. According to Pinton, these values are expressed by creating housing opportunities for students that are safe, comfortable, and flexible, and by providing students with learning opportunities with both the UFV and Stó:lō Temexw community. UFV is striving to make the housing a community in itself that offers both privacy and comfort for students living on campus and social connections that create good life experiences. The aim is that the building is a desirable place to live, environmentally sustainable, and respectful to the Stó:lō Temexw community.

UFV // B.C. initiates Period Poverty Task Force Announced on May 27, the B.C. government pledged $750,000 to United Way for the creation and implementation of a Period Poverty Task Force. Period poverty is the lack of access to menstrual products, hygiene facilities, waste management, and education in relation to the previously mentioned. The main purpose of the task force will be to research solutions to period poverty, remove stigma around periods, and to continue distribution of menstrual products to those in need. The foundation of the task force stems from United Way’s Period Promise research. Period Promise is an ongoing charity project that focuses on distributing menstrual products and spreading awareness.

- Emmaline Spencer

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UFV acknowledges efforts made by Teaching and Learning Centre Team EMMALINE SPENCER On May 16, the Teaching and Learning Centre (TLC) received the 2022 UFV Teamwork Award. The TLC team consists of about 11 people and has played a major role in assisting faculty and students in the transition to online work over the course of 2020 to now. According to Maureen Wideman, associate vice president of the TLC, the award was a great way for the team to be acknowledged by the university.

Wideman said, “Before [COVID-19], maybe eight to nine per cent of our courses were online and we had a few that were hybrid. Within five days the entire school had to go online. For a lot of our faculty, that was really difficult, and so this team just came out and supported that whole process of moving online.” Wideman mentioned that after the initial temporary shift to online learning, the team focused on the longevity of online education and making it work well for everyone involved.

Once the big shift to online learning was made, Wideman mentioned that the TLC team worked to create nine "micro-courses." They were prerecorded lessons that were available for anybody who wanted to take them. The courses talked about everything from

how to move your course online; to how to teach online; how to assess online; how to create student engagement; how to indigenize when you're online; and how to work with International students, who were in China or India.

The team also researched various online learning tools and would do departmental presentations to help the faculty make the best use of the tools they found. In addition, the team would do one-on-one consultations with staff who had specific questions. Wideman mentioned that these consultations could be as short as ten minutes or as long as half a day. The TLC team was also working with the IT department to help students with any difficulties they had during this time. If the IT department decided a student needed more help than they could provide, they would be referred to the TLC team.

“We were working nights and weekends. We were working between Christmas and New Year's, which is when the university would normally close, but because faculty members are at home creating their courses between Christmas and New Year's for the January start, we were available for them. We made sure that we were available to help,” said Wideman.

During the recent flooding in 2021, there was another quick shift back to

online learning. The shift was nearly seamless, according to Wideman. The TLC team assisted in making sure all students and staff had the equipment and means to complete their semester as many had their homes flooded and were required to evacuate.

The TLC team is considerably small in size in comparison to other equivalent support teams at other universities of similar size to UFV. Wideman mentioned, “The diversity of the team, such as this, is paramount to its success. Our faculty and students are diverse and the issues to be resolved are often complex, requiring different areas of expertise; this requires a diversity in both race, culture, education, and disciplinary expertise and technical ability.” She stated that every member of the team has their own “diversity gift” that expands the team's knowledge and understanding as a whole.

The TLC team was honoured to be selected for the 2022 UFV Teamwork award that is one of three Service Excellence awards presented annually to UFV staff and faculty. They have done a great deal of work behind the scenes to keep the education of UFV flowing as smoothly as possible and will continue to be there to support the university community.

BRIEF BITS OF BITE-SIZED BREVITY

SN S AP HO TS

CURTAILED COMMENTARY ON CURRENT CONDITIONS

Illustrations by Iryna Presley

The joy of borrowing

Dozer versus wheels I met a cute boy on Bumble and he owns a cute dog named Dozer. Overall, Dozer is a very good boy. He was adopted from the shelter about four months ago and has been settling into his new life handsomely. There’s just one thing that causes Dozer to stumble out of his goodboy ways and morph into a vicious beast on four legs: wheels. It’s as if wheels somehow hurt him in a past life and now he has a vendetta against all round objects that are used to transport people.

It doesn’t matter if it’s guys cruising around on motorcycles or bicycles, chil-

dren riding on Razor scooters, eldery people voyaging on mobility scooters, or any car/truck/vehicle that passes by; Dozer lunges at each of them, barking viciously while shaking his tail in rapt pleasure. We’re trying to teach Dozer that it’s not polite to attack people just because they choose to travel via wheels, but this lesson has yet to bury into his thick noggin.

Andrea Sadowski

Oddly enough, working in a library kind of takes all of the joy out of borrowing things from the library. Couple that with the lack of reading willpower that comes with being a full-time history undergrad, and you get exactly what happened to me: almost nothing read (at least for my own entertainment) for nearly seven years. The good news is that I’m newly graduated, so I’m treating myself to a 50-book goal for the year.

I’ve finished 19, which is slightly behind where I should be by now, but I’m working on The Waste Lands and The Long Walk — and yes, I’m going through my mid-twenties Stephen King phase. I

welcome all judgment. My other treat to myself is going to the public library and just checking out a huge stack of movies, something I also haven’t done for years. I went along the shelf and just pulled everything that looked remotely interesting — everything from Grey Gardens to Akira and The Passion of Joan of Arc. Arc. I’m even checking out ebooks!! This is a brand-new era of book ooks and movie consumption for me: I’m an adult with no bedtime and no borrowing limits.

Maecyn Klassen

All hail the audiobook I miss the days when I had enough free time in my schedule to sit down and read a good old-fashioned book. Remember those things? A few hundred pages or so of pure fiction. Not a biology textbook or an eighteenth-century poetry collection for a literature course; an actual book that I chose to read for fun fun..

Don’t get me wrong, I take a lot of writing courses, so my education is packed full of novels. I simply miss having the mental capacity to pick up a book for leisure and binge-read adventure tales and page-turning thrillers over a weekend.

Admittedly, I hadn’t picked up a book that wasn’t on an assigned reading list for a while. I simply just didn’t have the time.

As my “TBR” list grew bigger, I turned to audiobooks, and it has reignited a spark in me that I missed so much. Now I can listen to books when I am in the shower, on walks, making dinner, cleaning the house, or driving to school. Many audiobooks have different people narrating the characters, and some have background noises or music attached to high tension scenes, which all make the story just that more engaging to listen to. So if you are in a reading slump like I was, try giving audiobooks a try. They are a glorious thing for bookworms who are simply too busy to read.

Sydney Marchand

My emails are turning British Lately, I’ve gotten in the dreadful habit of signing off my emails with “Cheers.”

I don’t know what’s gotten into me. Up until recently, I would sign off with “Thanks” or even “Best regards” for the more formal emails, but these days I find myself repeating “Thank you” throughout the message of the email, so it seems too much to add another one at the end.

The problem is that “Cheers” feels too casual for any formal emails and too British for everything else. It’s not like

I say “Cheerio!” when I’m walking down the street (although I have found myself saying “Brilliant!” way too often). I guess I’m just looking for another way to spruce up my email game. I think next time, I’ll sign off by saying “Toodle pip!”

Let’s keep up the chaos.

Danaye Reinhardt

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VOL. 30 // ISSUE 09

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2022

OPINION Column //

The Conscious Consumer: How to save money at the grocery store Conversations about sustainability in an unsustainable world ANDREA SADOWSKI If inflation has got you nervous to look at your next credit card bill considering the high prices we’re paying at the gas pumps and in stores, you’re probably contemplating any small changes you can make to save money. Canada’s Food Price Report estimates that the price of food will rise by five to seven per cent in the coming year. If you have a more specialized diet, prices could be even higher. I was shocked when the average price of a block of tofu (a staple food of mine) went up from $2.00 to $3.50. It’s a shame that even when food is so expensive, there is still a considerable amount of wasted food that costs the average Canadian household $1,300 a year. The National Zero Waste Council found that 2.3 million tons of edible food is wasted every year in Canada. Wasted food is not just bad for your wallet, but it’s terrible for the environment. When we waste food, we are wasting all of the resources that went into

growing, processing, distributing, selling, and buying that food.

Here are some easy tips you can use to spend less on your sustenance: Learn how to store your produce so that it lasts longer. Store your onions and potatoes in separate locations. Store kale, cilantro, carrots, and celery in jars of water as if they were flowers. Wash your fresh herbs, leafy greens, and berries well, then dry them, and store them in airtight containers wrapped in paper towels to absorb moisture.

“Best before” dates are not expiration dates. Don’t throw something out immediately after its best before date. That date just signifies when that product is at its peak quality, many foods are still edible and tasty long after their best before date.

Use your nose to judge whether or not something is still fresh, not a date on a can.

Plan your meals and buy ingredients accordingly. Meal preps not only save time as you make a week’s worth of meals in one go, but can save money as you look

for meal ideas that revolve around using up leftover ingredients in your fridge and pantry. Making a grocery list is essential to spending less money at the grocery store if you’re prone to aimlessly wandering around the aisles.

The freezer is your best friend. Freeze everything you can and it will last longer.

Bread, meat, vegetables (blanch them first), berries, and many meals like soups, stir fries, and curries last much longer in the freezer and still taste great re-heated.

Shop around; try not to buy everything at the same store for the sake of convenience. I get all my fruits and vegetables from markets like Howard Wong Farms, SKT, and Fruiticana. Check out the food aisle at the dollar store for some cheap pantry staples. Share a Costco membership with a friend and split large quantities of food for cheaper than what you’d spend at the supermarket.

Download the Flashfood app to see which grocery stores are selling discounted food. You can buy marked down

food right from the app and pick it up at the store whenever you want.

Join the Bulk Buy Collective to save money on produce. Archway community services offers this program in which you pick up a bag of fruits and vegetables for $15 once a month; in exchange, you volunteer on a rotational basis to put together bags and distribute food.

Soak your beans. Beans are a cheap source of protein and fiber, and if you buy massive bags of dried beans, they’re even cheaper than if you were to buy cans of them. Soak your dried beans overnight, then boil them the next day until soft.

Store these beans in jars in the freezer until ready to use in a recipe.

Never go to the grocery store hungry.

Trust me on this one. I’ve made more impulsive purchases at the grocery store out of hunger than I care to admit. Eat a protein bar or something before walking through those sliding doors, and you’ll save that sweet cash you worked so hard for.

Column //

Sex & Relationships: Go get your vibe on Sometimes using your hands just won’t cut it SYDNEY MARCHAND I went to my first sex toy party when I was in my early 20s. Yup, it was an actual party.

There were cute little finger sandwiches, chocolates, a charcuterie board, and an overflowing table of sex toys in every size, shape, and colour that you could imagine.

I had never seen so many dual-headed wands and butterfly-shaped devices in my life.

Prior to this experience, I never had the nerve to step foot in a sex shop, let alone the guts to buy anything. I didn’t grow up in a house that openly talked about sex or masturbation or even relationships, in general. And although I wasn’t necessarily shamed for wanting to explore my sexuality, it certainly wasn’t encouraged. But it was at this sex toy party that I proudly purchased my first little vibrating bullet. It was pink, discreet, and I felt it was the least intimidating of the bunch to use. From that moment on, I haven’t looked back. We all deserve to have earth-shattering orgasms, but there are so many other benefits that sex toys bring about, too.

Praise the toys for keeping our genital health in check Yes, there are actual health benefits to regularly using sex toys for both penis and vagina owners. Many pelvic floor thera-

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pists recommend using toys to strengthen your pelvic muscles and improve the health of your vaginal walls. You can, of course, use good ol’ fashioned Kegels to

"Give it a shot and remember that lube is your friend." strengthen your pelvic floor, but sex toys are a great option to electrically stimulate these muscles, too. Why are these muscles important? Well, your pelvic floor muscles are essentially responsible for the intensity of your orgasms (strong muscles = stronger orgasms), but they also support your core, keep your bladder in control, and help keep your blood pumping.

Sex toys can also be beneficial for people who are dealing with erectile dysfunction, low libido, or experience difficulty with orgasms. Since many of these toys can promote blood flow and increase the stimulation of the penis, they can be a great option to explore.

Manifest some serious self-confidence I felt like I went from a shy, sexually ashamed teenager to an empowered wom-

an overnight. Truthfully, there are some things that your hands just cannot do.

Trust me. Sex toys can be great tools to help you explore your own body and help you understand what turns you on. You can find what spots, angles, and speeds you prefer, and there is something so empowering about uncovering this by yourself without the influence of a partner. When you start exploring your own sexual desires and figuring out what turns you on, this influences how you begin to see yourself as a sexual being — whether you’re in a relationship or not.

There is something for everyone Truly, there is something out there for every type of person. Whether you are more reserved or have hardcore fetishes, there is a sex toy for you. Many people may feel a sense of shame if they do not fit into the “normalized” standards of sexual kinks, but sex toys are a great way to safely explore your sexual identity and preferences. While little bullets are great starting points, there are so many options for both internal and external stimulation. This goes beyond the classic dildo.

Clitoral stimulators and suction devices work purely for external arousal and are great tools for those who find it difficult to orgasm with penetration alone. There are also some great internal toys as well.

Although in slightly different spots, both

vagina and penis owners have a G-spot, so experimenting with toys that target these specific glands may increase your ability to cum or strengthen the intensity of your orgasm. There is a strange sense of belonging that comes from exploring your own personal sexual desires. Give it a shot, and remember that lube is your friend.

Strengthen your sexual relationships with partners I’ve been in a relationship for the past seven years, and when I first started dating my partner, my experience in the bedroom was pretty non-existent. I didn’t want to break his ego if he wasn’t making my legs quiver, but I also wasn’t exactly sure what would get me there. Toys can be an incredibly useful tool to begin to understand your body on a different level. Once you figure out what you enjoy, it makes it so much easier to communicate these desires with your partner. They can also be a great way to mix up your sex life and bring some extra excitement into your intimacy routine. Introducing them while you have sex can be a great way to maximize the chance of both parties climaxing, because they can stimulate the clitoris or prostate in just the right spots. If I can give you any advice, it would be to clearly express to your partner what you like and how you like it, and don’t be afraid to use a toy together every once in a while.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2022

VOL. 30 // ISSUE 09

OPINION World //

Who is being left behind when we talk about climate change How people in the trades and agriculture industries are being excluded from discussions about the global need for sustainability and climate action ALLISON HOLCIK In recent years, as discussions about climate change and its role in planning for our global future have become more common, a new term has been coined to explain the differences in attitudes between women and men when it comes to sustainability.

The “eco gender gap,” as the company Mintel has stated, discusses the ways in which women are more likely to be environmentally conscious than men. Apparently, 71 per cent of women make climate change a priority by altering their behaviours in favour of more sustainable options, in comparison to 59 per cent of men doing the same. Various studies have offered explanations for this disconnect between the genders, citing everything from “personality differences'' with regards to women being more caring and focused on the future, to men seeing sustainability as too feminine.

However, as a young woman who grew up in the Fraser Valley with a father in the trades, I have a slightly different opinion.

Throughout my life, my family has relied on money directly connected to the Alberta oil fields to survive. My extended family lives in Chilliwack and has been dairy

farming for the last 70 plus years. As talks of climate change and sustainability movements have circled through our family rumour mill, I have heard a lot of very vocal opinions on what actions should be taken.

For my family, sustainability is something that could potentially destroy both our identity and our wallets, as fossil fuels are phased out and vegetarian and vegan lifestyles are adopted. While these actions are certainly not bad, and are in fact commendable, they have dire consequences for people who are working or are supported by farming or the skilled trades. Since these actions are so diametrically opposed to the livelihoods of many people, especially men, it makes sense that there is a corresponding gap in climate activism among such men.

Unfortunately, whenever I hear about sustainability actions with regards to trades and farming, they usually demonise those caught in the crosshairs of capitalism and call for radical changes to “the system.” In these situations, people seem to forget the struggles of others whose entire lives are supported by and revolve around “the system.”

The entire revamping of many trades, as well as a complete overhaul of the farming industry — which is currently far from carbon neutral — would be required to bring

about the kind of change we need. Most skilled trades rely on fossil fuels in some way or another, but they are also vital to the building and upkeep of our homes, cities, and transportation systems. In fact, these trades are already facing huge issues with a lack of skilled workers coming in, which is only being exacerbated by the possibility of losing your job when climate change solutions render your trade obsolete. It is key to modern industry that we include men, but especially men in trades, in the discussions we all should be having about climate change.

To get a different perspective on the “eco gender gap,” The Cascade interviewed UFV associate professor of political science, Dr. Jessica Price. Price mentioned the many ways that women are the ones being marketed to make sustainable purchases, whether that comes in the form of eco-friendly period products or makeup in glass bottles instead of plastic; women are the key market for sustainable choices.

Men are just not as frequent of consumers, so all the money for marketing sustainable and eco-friendly products ends up feminising it, which further disregards men from being included in conversations of sustainable living. While I agree with this aspect of the “eco gender gap,” I think

the discussion needs to be taken a step further. Just as people working in agriculture or in the skilled trades need to be included in discussions about climate change and how it will affect them, men as a whole need to be included in discussions about how we can all make better and more ecofriendly purchases in the future, no matter what demographic we fall into.

As women, we hold many roles, from caregiver, to support network, to unpaid labourer. It is important to recognize the massive role that women have been quietly playing in the background of climate activism as well as on the front lines, both by making sustainable choices for their families and rallying for better solutions.

However, we also need to recognize that men are being left behind in discussions on the future of our planet because of inane assumptions about why they are not already climate-conscious. Climate change is a global problem, and we need everyone to be able to help fix it. To do so, we must understand all of the ways that climate change will affect us all, while also realising that many potential solutions cause their own calamities with regards to people’s livelihoods and identities.

Life //

The untapped potential of building a city from scratch BRAD DUNCAN Camera phones, LEDs, memory foam, and athletic shoes are just a few byproducts of space travel. Big challenges often lead to initially insurmountable problems that breed creative solutions. So let’s do something hard — let’s build a city. Let’s build it from the ground up and make it sustainable. Let’s make it a joy to live and work in.

Let’s hire the brightest minds to design it.

Why don’t we just decide, like deciding to go to the moon?

Now I know what you’re thinking: Brad’s lost his fucking mind. You don’t just build cities from scratch. Au contraire; it happens more often than you might think. We’re used to seeing cities grow organically, but the low up-front costs associated with it also come with the kind of problems that make urban planners wake up with night sweats.

Cities built around highways and suburbs are staggeringly inefficient. According to the UN, “cities consume 78 per cent of the world's energy and produce more than 60 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions.” Additionally, cities are expected to grow by 2.5 billion people by 2050. This means that to combat climate change, we need to get cities right.

Consider building a kitchen: you can finance it, or you can spend a little at a time over years. With a loan, it’s a lot up-front, but you can coordinate the design and the layout, and it will be fully functional much sooner. Conversely, you can construct a kitchen piecemeal, starting with the necessities, expanding, and retrofitting over time. Anyone who’s played The Sims without a cheat code knows these trials and tribulations.

Building and designing on-the-go is more costly, disruptive, and impractical in the long term. Most urban planners must deal with the kitchen problem on a massive scale, working within the confines of existing infrastructure, private and public property, yearly budgets, the public’s daily use, and so on. It is very difficult to “undesign” existing urban spaces. It is so difficult that some countries don’t bother and just start from square one. Think of it like planning a neighborhood, but on a massive scale, where instead of planning to house 2,000 residents, you’re aiming for a million.

Finland is building a city out of timber.

China and Malaysia are both building “Forest Cities;” Italy is building a tech-centric smart city in Milan; and Songdo, South Korea aims to do away with cars, and contains an interconnected network of pneumatic tubes for waste collection. Singapore

has been called the “greenest city in Asia” because it constantly pushes the envelope for sustainable designs, and Copenhagen built a waste-to-energy plant with a ski slope on it — seriously.

Some of the world’s fastest-growing nations are attempting to address population booms, migration, and overcrowding by building bespoke new cities to house their next generation of residents, but purposebuilt cities are not all created equally. Some are viewed as destructive boondoggles or vanity projects, like Brasilia and Naypyitaw, while others are vital, like the yet-tobe named city being built east of an overpacked Cairo. The best examples innovate and inspire. What these projects share, however, is vision, and that’s something I can at least get behind. It feels like we stopped dreaming, trading pipe-dreams for pipelines.

Canada could and should take a page out of this playbook, but it requires a completely different way of thinking. We could decide to invest in tech or manufacturing and build a bespoke city around it — similar to the way that towns spring up around oil patches, but without the unplanned laissez faire approach.

Canada should build a city of the future not because it will solve all our woes, but because it’s an ambitious and chal-

lenging undertaking. To accomplish this, we’ll need planners, designers, architects, and engineers. We’ll need to develop new technologies and problem-solve on a scale we’ve never attempted before. We’ll need to train, hire, and import skilled workers, and push students into STEM. We’ll need to ensure our new city is vibrant, healthy, and connected virtually and practically to the rest of the country.

We’d need our city to be green, sustainable, vertical, and beautiful. We’ll be forced to tackle issues of power, waste, construction, water, and movement to and through the city. We could integrate nature while keeping human spaces from damaging the environment. We could ensure a vibrant economy to protect our investment, with a diverse and robust workforce and opportunities for jobs in varied economic sectors. We could seek investment from global leaders in green technology and offer them a place to play and innovate in exchange.

We’d learn and apply those lessons to existing urban areas.

Our country is fractured. We need a moonshot — something for Canadians to rally behind. Why not this? Why can’t we create a vision for ourselves — a vision of Canada at its best and most ambitious — and set out to realize it?

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2022

OPINION Editorial //

Taking care of Mother Earth and the species who inhabit her is groovy How to be a good steward in your own backyard ANDREA SADOWSKI It feels like summer is finally upon us; the sun is shining, birds are singing and my seasonal depression is slowly fading. I live for summer because there is no better time to enjoy the great outdoors, however you may choose to do so — hiking up a mountain, tripping on shrooms in the forest, kayaking on a lake, bird watching in the park; the Fraser Valley is chock-full of endless opportunities to enjoy the beautiful nature of the Pacific Northwest. However, oftentimes this privilege can be abused by so many.

This week’s feature is about the species in the Fraser Valley that will soon be eradicated unless every citizen does their part in stewarding their ever-decreasing habitats. It’s easy to think of saving the planet in terms of preserving the melting ice caps or protecting habitats of Bengal tigers, but there are species at risk right in your own backyard that are pleading for your protection. From the little forestsnail to the great blue heron, we are living in a biodiversity hotspot.

If you own land of any kind, you are particularly on the hook to protect these species at risk and the ecosystems they rely on that reside on your private property. If you own a piece of land, consider joining the Nature Stewards Program with the Fraser Valley Conservancy. An expert will visit your property and work with you to create conservation goals specific to the wildlife habitats that reside on your land. You may even find an undiscovered population of an endangered species right in your own backyard.

Even if you don’t have any land to your name and you live in a basement suite with no yard, like me, you are still called to be a steward of the environment and a citizen scientist. Let me give you some easy examples of ways you can give back to the environment that gives you so much.

Learn to identify different native species and report your findings. The Fraser Valley Conservancy has guides to identify local snails, amphibians, owls, salamanders, and frogs. Learn to identify the little creatures you see on your forest walks and report your findings on iNaturalist or the B.C. government’s wildlife reporting tool.

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Illustration by Lindsey Roberts

Aid with invasive plant removal. Introduced invasive species degrade the habitat of endangered species by crowding out native plants. Learn about invasive species growing in your area like the giant hogweed, knotweed, tansy ragwort, and wild chervil, and if you see any, report it to weeds@fvrd.ca. If you choose to extract invasive species, remember to never throw them in the compost pile. Instead, put them all in a garbage bag and drop it off at a designated disposal facility.

Take a trash bag with you hiking. Basically, leave everywhere you go better than you found it. Pick up whatever garbage you see when camping, hiking, or doing anything in nature. Just get that garbage out of a slug’s front yard; I’m sure it doesn’t appreciate its home being used as a dump.

Don’t let your cat outside. It is estimated that domesticated cats in Canada kill up to 348 million birds and destroy up to two million birds nests every year. Cats are a leading cause of death for birds and mammals in North America. Even if you think your cat isn’t a cold-blooded killer because you don’t see bodies, think again; more than 75 per cent of all cats’ prey are not brought home.

Stay on trail. If you’re hiking, ATVing, mountain biking, camping, or anything of the sort, stay on the designated trails.

Off-trail movement results in the degradation of habitat by soil compaction, as well as increased risk of stepping on a precious critter.

If you see something, say something.

See someone feeding ducks at the pond or

littering on the trail? Tell them how their actions affect the ecosystem and habitat of endangered species. Yes, it’s very intimidating to go up to someone and tell them what they’re doing is wrong, but your words may stop them from continuing this cycle of destruction in the future.

“We need that collaborative approach of stewardship right here in our backyard, here in the Fraser Valley,” said Aleesha Switzer, UFV alum and project biologist at the Fraser Valley Conservancy. “I think recognizing what's happening to the Valley, what's happening to the world with climate change, and the continuous decline of biodiversity. I think we need to be brave and we need to stand up, and that's what being stewards is about.”

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2022

Endangered species of the Fraser Valley

In a century of unprecedented loss of biodiversity globally, our own community is at risk of losing over 230 more species

By Andrea Sadowski

O

ver 230 species are at risk in B.C.’s Southern Coast (the districts of Chilliwack, Squamish, and the Sunshine Coast). There are several animal species at risk right here in our backyards, including the great blue heron, Oregon forestsnail, Oregon spotted frog, western painted turtle, white sturgeon, northern spotted owl, and pacific water shrew. The plant species of tall bugbane, poor pocket moss, phantom orchid, and streambank lupine are also endangered. While these are not megafauna that get mass amounts of media attention and protests, like old growth forests or Northern White Rhinos, it is still devastating to know that if we do not prioritize their conservation, they will be lost for the generations yet to come. We will never see them again.

between the 1820s and 1990s. Since the arrival of European settlers in the Valley, the landscape has been dramatically altered to support agriculture and urban infrastructure to the detriment of the native species and the ecosystems they depend upon.

You can find these species at risk in your own backyard if you pay close enough attention. We’re going to profile just a few species that are at risk here in the Valley:

Oregon Spotted Frog (Rana pretiosa)

or iNaturalist. This form will help identify potentially hidden populations of amphibians and aid in the research of biologists who are working to protect this species.

Another threat to amphibians are fungal diseases like chytridiomycosis, which affects an estimated 30 per cent of the world’s amphibians. Switzer said that they recently had the bacterial communities of the Oregon spotted frog sampled in a lab, and these researchers discovered that their skin contains a bacteria culture that creates a peptide, an antifungal that can control this fungus that has devastated amphibian populations around the world.

This is an example of the vast knowledge and medicines these species contain in their very DNA which will be lost, never to be discovered, if they go extinct.

There are currently only six small populations of these amphibians left in the Fraser Valley, which make them one of the most at-risk species of extinction in the Fraser Valley. The main threats to their survival include the loss of their wetland habitat and the predatory nature of the invasive bullfrog species who compete for resources.

This little guy is the world’s smallest “[The Oregon spotted diving mammal, who lives a semifrog] represents the type of aquatic lifestyle and can even run on ecosystem that we used to have the surface of the water for up to five dominating the Fraser Valley beautiful seconds. These little creatures lowlands: that shallow marsh live in riparian areas (the vegetation that ecosystem,” said Switzer. “This grows along the edge of a natural body frog is still holding on and of water) for the duration of their lives — it’s almost beckoning us to spanning 1.5 years — and they survive on return to some sort of balance a diet of insects and small invertebrates here with the water, with the like snails, mollusks, and slugs. They use Identification: They can range in color from reddish-brown to olive to creatures that live here.” their sensitive whiskers to detect prey tan and have irregular black spots on their bodies. There is a light stripe This frog that represents the underwater, where they can forage for up that runs from their upper lip to their shoulder, their eyes are pointed beautiful marshland that once to 3.5 minutes. upward, and their snouts are slightly pointed. dominated the Fraser Valley landscape is precariously “We are ultimately controlling the fate sitting on the edge of extinction. It is of what future generations get to see estimated that there is a 60 per cent and enjoy and experience,” said Aleesha chance of five of these populations Switzer, project biologist at the Fraser going extinct in the next decade.

Valley Conservancy and UFV alum.

The Fraser Valley Conservancy’s Habitat loss, degradation, and Precious Frog program wants to make fragmentation are the primary threats to sure this doesn’t happen. The program these species, as more habitat gets lost or works towards habitat restoration destroyed due to urbanization, forestry, and enhancement, research, and Identification: It is rare that you will see this tiny mammal and agriculture, especially the wetlands, education. If you have seen or heard a weighing in at 10-20 grams, just about 17 cm long and 7 cm tall. where so many endangered species reside. frog in your area, you are encouraged However, should you be so blessed, they have dark-brown to It is estimated that 87 per cent of all to fill out a frog finder form on the black velvety fur, with a very pointed snout decorated with long wetlands in the Lower Mainland were lost Fraser Valley Conservancy’s website whiskers, and a long, thin, brown tail.

Pacific Water Shrew (Sorex bendirii)

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There is a story told by the Stó:lō people about the Pacific water shrew, otherwise known as the hiháwt. A brother and sister shrew were running over some logs as they were playing in the creek, and a maple seedling pierced the foot of the sister shrew. A forest snail came over to the pair to help, and brother shrew noticed the forest snail had a rash, to which he offered alder bark to make a tea that would help heal him. Later that night, the forest snail drank the tea and prayed to help the shrews when a vision came to him. He snuck into their home inside a log while they were sleeping, plucked the fine hair off his own shell, rubbed it until it became stiff, and placed one on each of their feet. With these stiff hairs on their feet, the shrews were able to run over the surface of the water instead of having to cross over logs.

There are few records that exist of this rare and elusive species, and more research is needed to determine the current population size.

Oregon forestsnail is just how easily it kind of slips under the radar. It’s one of those species that is just on the ground, not moving around, not doing anything.

But there it is, on the trail, walking in the forest — an endangered species. It’s not trying to make itself known, it’s not f lashy, but when you get to see it and hold it, it’s kind of special.”

Climate change is another threat to native terrestrial gastropods that has been largely understudied. Extreme weather events like droughts and heatwaves will degrade the moist habitat they need to survive. Oregon Forestsnails are particularly sensitive to local temperatures, and when these conditions are unfavorable, it limits their movement by drying out their secretions.

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias fannini)

If there is one animal on this list I know you’ve seen at least once before, it’s this tall, wading bird with beautiful blue plumage. While this bird with legs that go on for days is not on the “red list” of endangered species, it is on the “blue This humble yet beautiful little snail list” of special concern, meaning they’re is one of the few native species of still vulnerable to extinction. These birds terrestrial gastropods we have left in group together in major nesting colonies British Columbia. Unlike invasive species, known as heronries. The Great Blue Heron these guys don’t want to eat your lettuce Nature Reserve in Chilliwack is made up of or munch on your garden; they just want 325 acres of wetland off the Vedder River to hang out in the forest and live their and is home to a large nesting colony of best lives eating decaying vegetation. Pacific Great Blue Herons.

These hermaphrodites play a crucial While some sources suggest that bald role in the forest ecosystem by aiding in eagle predation is a threat to the great decomposition and dispersing spores and blue herons, Camille Coray, executive seeds. If you have any trees or stinging director of the Great Blue Heron nettle (their favorite snack) in your Nature Reserve Society, reveled in the backyard, try going out and looking for relationship that she observed between them; I bet they’re hanging out right in eagles and herons in the reserve. She your backyard, ready to be discovered. said the herons would actually build their “I love the Oregon forestsnail,” said nest closer to these predators in a sort of Switzer. “My favorite thing about the symbiotic relationship of protection.

“Basically, the eagles are very territorial and they will eat other raptors — definitely other eagles — that are in the area,” said Coray. “So for the [heron] parents, it’s a really good thing to have a pair of nesting eagles within 200 meters of their colony. They have to be at least that close in order to offer the level of protection that they’re looking for. They will, of Identification: Their shell’s diameter is about 2.8 to 3.5 cm and its colour course, get preyed on to can range from gold to reddish or dark brown. Their shell has a thick, white rim some degree by the eagles. that flares upward and has thin bands spanning across each whirl on the shell, But the level of predation giving them a textured look. from just a pair of eagles is

Oregon Forestsnail (Allogona townsendiana)

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Identification: They are tall, long legged birds with an S-shaped neck. They have steel blue-grey feathers, with darker blue flight and tail feathers. Their long, thick bill is yellow and black, and the head and face are white. far less than what the level of predation would be from every eagle in the area.”

Herons themselves are one of the top predators on the reserve, according to Coray, which makes them a keystone species that keep populations of other species in balance.

The biggest threat to great blue herons, like many other endangered species on this list, is habitat destruction and the lack of legislation that is required to keep this habitat intact. Coray recalled phone calls she would receive from people who watched developers tear down trees with heron nests in them. There is a stunning lack of laws for developers to follow to ensure their projects aren’t pushing animals out of habitats.

“Wetland habitat is one of the most threatened habitats as well as one of the most productive habitats when it comes to housing species,” said Coray, who listed all of the endangered species that could be found within the 325 acre reserve, including the Western Painted Turtle, the Northern Red-legged frog, the Oregon forestsnail, and the Northern Goshawk.

To get involved at the heron reserve, or if you want to report sightings of heron colonies that may or may not already be mapped in the Lower Mainland, contact Camille Coray at herons@shawbiz. ca. You can also visit their website,

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2022

chilliwackblueheron.com, information.

for

more

insects in control.”

Western Painted Turtles are the last native species of aquatic turtles we have in B.C. They are another wetland species whose habitat is threatened by urbanization, and their migration corridors that span across roadways only increase their mortality rate. Invasive plant and animal species, like the Slider turtle, compete for resources, and roots from some invasive plant species can even penetrate and entangle the nesting

that does not have specific legislation to protect endangered species, yet has more species at risk than any other province.

There are more than 1,900 endangered species inhabiting British Columbia, a province with one of the highest biodiversity rates in the country, yet there is only a patchwork of legislation One of the longest-living reptiles in to protect these species, including the North America, the Western Painted Wildlife Act, which has been criticized by Turtle can live over thirty years in the many as ineffective. right conditions and is the last remaining “There’s no significant species at risk native freshwater turtle species on legislation on the docket for the the B.C. coast. A fun fact about these foreseeable future here in B.C.,” turtles is that the temperature of B.C. premier John Horgan told The their eggs in the incubation period Narwhal in 2019. determines whether their sex will be “A species at risk act has the male or female. potential to be considered an act of “Every single turtle has the genetic reconciliation by Indigenous peoples, capability of being a male or a female if it is done with their input and turtle. It’s decided by temperature,” guidance,” writes Steve Martin for The said Andrea Gielens, lead biologist Times Colonist. “Following a model at Wildlife Preservation Canada of free, prior and informed consent, and adjunct professor at UFV. “It’s endangered species legislation actually decided in the nest on one can offer more legal protection for day of their incubation; if the nest Indigenous communities in a province or hatchlings of eggs are warm, then of unceded territories.” they become females. If they’re cooler The federal Species At Risk Act then they become males … So, if we Identification: Adult turtles will have an olive-green to dark-brown have a really warm summer, then upper shell that may be patterned with red lines. Their head, neck and (SAR A) was created as a tool for we’ll probably get mostly females; in tail are striped yellow. Their lower shell is red or orange and often has Crown land, according to Switzer.

However, this Act doesn’t operate the a really cool summer we’ll get mostly intricate patterns in black and yellow. same as provincial legislation would, males.” in that it can’t actually do anything Gielens leads the Fraser Valley area and eggs of these reptiles. to protect the critical habitats of species Wetland Recovery Program, which “The best thing people can do is realize at risk. If we had provincial legislation includes a captive breeding and release that there are turtles out there that that outlined how to manage areas where program for the Western Painted Turtle and the Oregon Spotted Frog. Her work are native species that nest on sandy species at risk reside, that could improve involves tracking where female turtles beaches,” said Gielens. “So, if there’s bylaws on a municipal level as well. nest and protecting the eggs by putting an area where there are turtles in the a cage over them to ensure they cannot water, and there is a sandy beach there, be dug up or stepped on. For particularly just be cognizant of the fact that there vulnerable nests that are highly likely could be eggs under the surface of the to be disturbed, they take the eggs into sand. … Turtles lay their eggs starting We won’t know what we lose until it’s captivity to incubate them and raise them in the middle of May until the middle of gone. All species occupying an ecosystem up as babies until they are about 30 grams July, and the eggs can actually stay in the together are intricately interconnected or three inches long, at which point they nest until the following spring. So those in a way that when one species is lost, release them. Gielens said some of the animals are there just under the surface.” we lose the relationship they built with Identification: Adult turtles will have another species in the ecosystem. baby turtles are about the size of a nickel and grow very slowly over the course of an olive-green to dark-brown upper shell If you’re perhaps thinking, “It’s just that may be patterned with red lines. another species of snail or frog; we have one or two years.

“These turtles provide really important Their head, neck and tail are striped plenty, and it won’t hurt the ecosystem roles in the ecosystem,” said Gielens. yellow. Their lower shell is red or orange all that much to lose this one species,” “Turtles are great recyclers. They’re and often has intricate patterns in black Switzer would disagree with you. detritus feeders. They maintain the and yellow.

“I think that each of these species

Western Painted Tur tle (Chrysem ys picta)

Protecting these species for the generations to come

ecosystem by being that conduit of composting. Any fish that you get in the environment, those are gonna get gobbled up by turtles right away, along with all the plant material, and they help to get

Legislation to protect endangered species B.C. is one of the few provinces in Canada

came to be through all of these amazing processes over thousands of years, and to say they’re not needed or they’re no longer needed, it feels really ignorant to the process.”

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2022

CULTURE

culture@ufvcascade.ca Anisa Quintyne — Culture Editor

Life //

Column //

Cascade Kitchen: Raspberry Vinaigrette

Rihanna pregnancy lookbook RACHEL TAIT While most pregnant women tend to dress more conservatively and cover up their baby bump, A-lister and award-winning singer Rihanna did the exact opposite and embraced her pregnancy by showing off her growing midriff.

While Rihanna has previously been known to wear bold and risqué fashions in the public eye, her maternity wear was even more controversial, as they showed off her baby bump, when other starlets like to hide their pregnancy.

In an interview with Vogue, Rihanna was quoted as saying that, “I’m hoping that we were able to redefine what’s considered ‘decent’ for pregnant women.” She goes on to say that, “My body is doing incredible things right now, and I’m not going to be ashamed of that. This time should feel celebratory. Because why should you be hiding your pregnancy?”

Now a new mother to a baby boy, Rihanna’s more risqué fashion choices during her pregnancy have been noted in the public eye, and there are mixed feelings about her maternity look that are mainly coming from social media. The majority of reactions have remained positive, and there is talk that Rihanna is changing how people see and approach maternity fashion.

Not only did Rihanna wear provocative and figure-hugging attire, but she also accessorized her baby bump with jewelry for the full effect. Here is a breakdown of some of her more iconic maternity looks.

In March 2022, Rihanna was spotted wearing a black see-through dress and black boots that were accessorized with layered necklaces, while attending the Dior AW22 show during the Paris Fashion week. This particular look emphasized Rihanna’s pregnancy due to the transparent material used for the body of the dress. The black lace lingerie underneath made the dress appear more like a nightgown than formal wear, and yet this style gives a more hip look then the traditional attire soonto-be moms often wear, such as loose and

baggy dresses. This can be seen in the choice she made to wear a dress that zeroes in on her baby bump and flaunts it glamourously.

At the Oscars Gold Party, Rihanna wore a black gown by Valentino that consisted of a sheer top, a black bandeau, and a floor-length skirt covered with sequins. This daring look again highlighted her pregnancy, as the transparent top showcased her large baby bump.

While the dress itself is very risqué in style, the sheer material covering the baby bump gave a romantic and delicate feel to the controversial outfit, which was worn with white sneakers for the full effect.

Also this year, Rihanna wore a black crisscross top that revealed her torso and cleavage while donning a black bomber jacket, black leggings, jewel-encrusted heels, and black sunglasses for the full effect. This iconic look is both bold and very untraditional for maternity wear, and yet it stays true to the style of the rock star.

Rihanna is changing the way people see maternity wear, and is inspiring other mothers-to-be to try some of the same fashions she has been wearing. The way Rihanna dressed while pregnant shows an individual who is still retaining a more form-fitting style that does not resemble floating curtains that other expecting celebrity mothers have worn in the past, like Princess Diana. And the interesting part is that she did everything she could to showcase her baby bump, from wearing sheer lace gowns to crop tops and jewelry that fell or pointed towards her belly.

“When I found out I was pregnant, I thought to myself, ‘there’s no way I’m going to go shopping in no maternity aisle.’” Rihanna told Vogue. “I’m sorry — it’s too much fun to get dressed up. I’m not going to let that part disappear because my body is changing.”

Whether or not people agree with her fashion choices during her pregnancy, one cannot help but admire her ability to stay true to herself, no matter what stage of life she is in — and that indeed takes courage, and makes being comfortable in your own skin take on a whole new meaning in the fashion industry.

Raspberry Vinaigrette, 2022. (Andrea Sadowski/The Cascade)

ANDREA SADOWSKI The Cascade Kitchen is a student-run food column that brings you budgetfriendly 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.

Ingredients: 1 cup raspberries ¼ cup olive oil 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 Tbsp agave 1 Tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp poppy or chia seeds

I know it’s still about a month until Method: raspberry season shines its beautiful 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line face, but save this recipe until then, Simply puree all the ingredients because she’s a keeper. This raspberin a blender or food processor unry vinaigrette is the perfect dressing til smooth. Store in an airtight jar to go on top of any summer salad. I until ready to use. put mine on top of a kale and quinoa salad.

Prep Time: 2 minutes Serves: 4

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Illustration by Niusha Naderi

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2022

VOL. 30 // ISSUE 09

CULTURE Artist Q&A //

An interview with photographer Jake Holmes Local photographer and drummer for Blessed talks journey into photography and life on the road.

KELLYN KAVANAGH Jake Holmes is a Chilliwack-based photographer and drummer, known as the drummer for local band “Blessed.” Many of the shots on his Instagram focus on architecture, nature, and landscapes throughout North America taken between tour gigs with the band. Sitting with The Cascade, Jake shares with us some of his inspirations, journey into photography, and how he fuels his creative drive. You can find him on Instagram @jjollmmesshh.

When did you first start shooting film?

I started to get into thrifting around 2010/11. I found this really crappy point and shoot that stopped working after a year. I wasn't using it a lot, but I was having fun, just going around the neighborhood.

My parents' house is close to an industrial area in Chilliwack, so I would go there and take black and white photos. They told me that my grandpa had a bunch of photography equipment laying around from when he’d practice landscape photography. I thought maybe I can try this out with these lenses that can change between bodies. I just started kind of learning about it as I

went. I had no formal training, aside from reading a little bit on the internet. More than anything, just screwing around and finding stuff that I liked.

Does photography provide a meditative break between gigs, or does it further stoke your creative drive?

Totally. Before or after a show, it’s great to bring a camera and just disappear for a short while during some downtime. Getting to take off for a bit before a show or on a day off is a great way for me to take a deep breath and just have some time alone.

Being on tour, we're all in the van together.

Even if we don't talk all day. We're always together. Sometimes minor stressors can turn into big stressors. Finding a balance in that scenario is super important. When I'm focusing on something and trying to get it right, that's the only thing that exists in that moment. Even if I'm taking a picture of a pile of garbage, that pile of garbage is the most beautiful, intricate, most interesting thing I've seen all day.

Does your perspective of certain places and moments change after you develop your images?

It just makes me want to go back to those places. My memory there may have either been a good time or a bad time. However, the photos I get, I always remember enjoying being there at that moment.

What photo techniques would you like to try down the road?

I’m experimenting right now. I just bought a digital camera, Fujifilm X-T3. It came with some lenses that I didn't have any experience with. That's been really exciting. I'm getting to shoot at night a lot, because that was something where I would try and shoot at night, but I just couldn't ever get it right. I feel like with the experience right now of shooting at night digitally, I'll be more equipped in the future.

I’m also interested in trying out portraits and creative photo sessions that I can then artistically embellish on my computer through Lightroom.

What advice might you give for those looking to dive into photography as a new hobby?

I think I would just recommend experimenting. I’d suggest learning about exposure, shutter speed, and manual focus

as well. Overall, though, experimenting is definitely key. Also getting a camera where you can use the focus ring on the lens. There are so many affordable film cameras out there. 35 millimeter film cameras are generally the most accessible. You can still find one from the eighties or the seventies, and mechanically it works great.

Get a Pentax. They're cheap. I've used mine for years and haven't ever felt like I needed to get the next big thing.

Is there anything else you’d like the readers of The Cascade to know?

Even though I've been taking photos for 10 years or so, I still feel like a beginner and I still get discouraged and sometimes just want to stow the camera away for months at a time and not take photos. However, I think persistence is crucial: keeping it up and not letting yourself become discouraged. Even when you're like, “why isn't it working? Why does this shot absolutely suck, but the next one is great?” Sticking to it and figuring it out will then give you the reward of being able to take good photos and develop your overall style.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity

Photos courtesy of Jake Holmes

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2022

VOL. 30 // ISSUE 09

CULTURE Community //

The potential of vertical farming and its agricultural benefits for sustainable growth Nutritional food might become openly accessible to the community in a new innovative farming project ANISA QUINTYNE UFV has partnered with QuantoTech Solutions Ltd. and i-Open Technologies Inc. to promote the development of vertical farming, a project that seeks to introduce sustainable agriculture to the rest of the world.

Alycia van der Gracht, the founder of QuantoTech Solutions, describes its development as a supplier of environmentfriendly systems. “We started off as an LED lighting company initially. So we were making custom lights, and then we started adding on more high-powered lights, more control systems. And we always wanted to do food production. It stemmed from me trying to grow some of my plants outdoors when I went to the University of Lethbridge. Obviously, it gets quite cold over there in the wintertime, so the crops weren’t doing so good outside. I had to bring them in, and then I learned about LED lighting and growing indoors.”

Nandish Khandelwal, the horticulture supervisor at QuantoTech Solutions, responsible for farm marketing, describes his own experience with the project. “I’ve been working in the agriculture sector for quite some time. I did my studies at UFV in agriculture, and I've been working in research in agriculture before [QuantoTech] in the Fraser Valley, and then I got to know about it through UFV. I started working with them and that got me into the vertical farming sector.

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“So basically, it’s growing plants in a vertical fashion instead of in the horizontal, and it allows you to use the space more efficiently so you can have almost 10 times the amount of plants in the same space by vertically staggering the shelves.

“We are stacking these growth shelves vertically on top of each other. Right? And hypothetically, you can go as far as maybe 10 levels or 20 levels, but right now we are doing four levels. In the future, we are willing to expand into multi-levels.”

As climate change leers around the world with its threats of heavy impact, Khandelwal explains the various ways vertical farming can combat this. “Let’s say about 80 to 90 per cent of the total phosphorus mined worldwide is used as fertilizer in agriculture.” Khandelwal states, “And if you will, that about 50 per cent of those fertilizers get wasted and are not taken up by plants. In vertical farming, we use all sorts of technology and all the latest inputs we have in technology and integrate them together to come up with the basic necessities that plants have.

“If you increase your fertilizer usage efficiency from 50 per cent to about 95 per cent, you have reduced the waste … Most importantly, nitrogen gets into the soil or flows to the water bodies and eventually lands in the ocean and leads to eutrophication. It would result in huge algae blooms, which are not good for the environment.

So we can prevent those things from happening if we use the right amount of fertilizers, which vertical farming allows us to do while reducing the total amount of

wastage.”

Going into food transportation and its environmental costs, Van der Gracht provides a sustainable solution. “Having to ship food is quite a big greenhouse gas emitter. So by being able to grow close to consumption, we're able to also combat that.

“In vertical farming, companies aim to have continuous efficiency improvements and they try to introduce zero waste policies that help to reduce the carbon footprint. And the other thing is in conventional farming, you have to transport the produce grown from one state or one country to another one. And the longer the transport from retail to consumer, the higher the chance of contamination and food losses along the supply chain.”

Van der Gracht also goes into the implementation of vertical farming in society.

“So for more remote locations, we'll help them with our equipment, get that shipped out so that they could grow directly within their community. And then for bigger cities and more populated places like the Lower Mainland, we’re trying to decide between a couple of different models of either having a more centralized farm that's larger, or a ton of little ones all over the place. So it might end up being some combination of the two, but because vertical farming and specifically our equipment is so scalable, it really gives us a lot of options.

“We want to use underutilized space. So we're looking into the space between elevators and big developments that you can

typically use for anything you can't lease to people — because, I mean, who's going to lease random space between elevators with no sunlight or anything like that?

Also in parkades. A lot of people are working from home, so there’s more space available. So in a couple of the parking stalls, we could put a small micro farm there.

“Since our lights are very high intensity, we’re starting to look more into strawberries or cherry tomatoes, other herbs, and more automation with our equipment.

We're always trying to improve and reduce labour.”

As Khandelwal describes, the project has bigger visions across the world. “We can grow more diverse food products in this type of system, including growing crops, but with higher nutritional values like berries to provide the basic minimum calories to the people in developing countries who do not have access to food security.

“Vertical farming technology is definitely applicable in the areas that are called food deserts. I think the countries with temperate climates might not need them as much right now because they have the land and the climatic factors in their favour to grow these crops, but certainly in areas like our part of the world, where the climate is not productive.

“If we grow more crops in smaller spaces, then we can free up the land and let it be available for biodiversity instead of cutting trees down.”

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2022

VOL. 30 // ISSUE 09 sports@ufvcascade.ca Teryn Midzain— Sports Editor

SPORTS

Athlete Q&A //

Lucy Park: UFV’s rising golf prodigy The Cascade got to sit down with first-year golfer Lucy Park before the golf team’s last tournament of the 2022 season TERYN MIDZAIN Lucy Park has had a breakout first year on the Cascades’ golf team, with multiple top-10 finishes through the year, tying for third at the UCSC Spring Invite in March against NCAA Division III level teams.

The young star has shown a lot of growth and promise in her inaugural season and only looks to get better as she continues to her goal of playing professional golf when she graduates.

How did you get into this sport and why golf?

I started pretty late; a lot of people who play golf started when they were five years old. I started in grade 10. I had never played a round before. I went to the range a couple of times. My sister wanted to start playing golf because my dad used to play.

He didn’t play as much then, but he wants to play with me, and we both want to get better together.

I was on my high school golf team and was better than most of the golfers. A lot of them were hockey players and baseball players. So they looked very athletic and muscular, and I was the only girl on the team; I'm not that athletic. I was pretty

weak and I still played better; that gave me some confidence. I was beating all the guys and I was like, “this is something I want to do.”

When did you decide that you wanted to go from playing for fun to competitive?

My personal coach has helped me a lot with that. [When I first started], I played just twice a week, more for fun, and my coach said, “you could play competitive golf and try it out.” Then I started practicing more, and after three months, I started playing tournaments, which people don't usually do. Tournaments like the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJTs) are very competitive.

But that was good for me, I feel I learn easier if I get into competitive mode and see the people who are good. Right after that first tournament, I got to see what I needed to improve on; I wanted to get better.

I actually won one of the bigger tournaments for the first time in grade 12.

Jennifer [Greggain], who was the [golf] coach before Cody [Stewart], reached out and asked, “Are you interested in playing university golf?” I thought, “that's another

level of golf,” and then that's when I started thinking and hoping to turn pro and play on a tour after graduation.

What was the first bad golf habit you had to learn to break?

Learning to not be so competitive. I used to play golf a lot with my dad, and I was so competitive. I wanted to win. I wanted to play better, I don't want to see those high scores. My dad said, “You're here to have fun with me. You don't have to beat me.

You don't have to try to be my friend.”

I once had a bad round because I wasn't playing well. I think this is the one time I kicked or threw my ball. It wasn't even big.

Like I've never kicked anything. I've never thrown anything. I was playing so badly.

And my dad got so mad at me, he was like, “You can't do that. And you have to have fun, even if you're playing a bad round. In tournaments, you’re supposed to be enjoying your sports.” I was like, ”Yeah, that's something I should work on.” Yeah, I just played around with him. Had more fun.

How do you handle the stress of a bad round if you don’t throw the ball, then?

I actually struggled with that a lot; I get

really stressed, but I'm not too aggressive, which is good.

Every hole, I’ll say, “This is a new hole.

The last hole is done. That's not in my head anymore. This is a new hole. I'm playing this hole.”

I try to view the whole tournament as one thing. It's very healthy because looking at one day, 18 holes isn’t that long. Well, if we say five hours, it feels longer. So when I think, “I have 36 holes to go and I only played three holes badly, that’s okay.” It's not the end of the day.

What are your favorite courses to play in B.C.?

Ledgeview is my favorite. It's the course I grew up playing. I was a member there.

Nick Taylor and Adam Svensson were members at Ledgeview and play in the PGA. I think it's so cool that I get to play the same course as them. It's just a fun and easy course.

Cordova Bay in Victoria; it’s a beautiful course, it's just pretty. The greens were not that fun. It was very undulating and it was hard to play, but it was a cool course.

Interview edited for length and clarity.

Athlete Q&A //

Sukhjot Bains: the man behind the scoring machine Sukhjot Bains, professional basketball player and former UFV star, sat down with The Cascade to discuss basketball and his mindset.

ESHER SIRA Growing up as a basketball fan in Surrey, I had the opportunity to watch Sukhjot Bains play at the club and high school level.

Bains amazed me, as he would use his agile six-foot-six frame to dunk on opposing defenders and knock down three-pointers when his team needed it most. Many Lower Mainland residents have heard of him, as he currently plays professional basketball for the Fraser Valley Bandits during the off-season of the Sweden Superettan, which Bains plays in for Helsingborg BBK. Bains sat down with The Cascade to speak about his mindset on the court, what he's learned from traveling the world, and from the sport he loves. To have the opportunity to speak with one of the players who inspired me to play basketball was a dream come true.

What have you learned from playing all these different levels of basketball?

Each level I've been at had different levels of physicality. Every player is more competitive at every level. When I went to Sweden, it was kind of similar to how I played in the U Sports at UFV, so that wasn't too much of a change. But even playing with the Bandits right now, the level of physicality is much higher; drills and everything are much more competitive.

him at UFV, and now at the biggest stage in Canada?

I mean, we've been teammates since high school. We graduated together in 2014; he's grown so much as a basketball player over the years. Like, it's crazy how much better he's gotten. I used to be better than him.

But he's pretty much caught up to me now playing at the same level on the same team.

What is your role on the team? What do you like to achieve or bring to the table?

How do you feel about the Punjabi representation in the sports world and how that's becoming more relevant?

In high school I played a little bit of everything. But I'd say I'm more guardoriented. I'm more comfortable being on the perimeter as my role on the team. Defensively, that's one of my best attributes of basketball. I could be a good defensive perimeter — and my ability to shoot. So I guess at the next level of my role could be a three-point shooter and defensive type of guy.

How did it feel growing up with Sukhman Sandhu, then playing with

Yeah, definitely. I mean, there's way more Punjabi players that are into sports now than they were back in the day. I guess in our community, sports aren't really too much of a key factor. It's more about going to school and getting an education.

But nowadays, parents are also allowing kids to get involved in sports, [and then at the] university level as well. So it's been growing over the years, and it's been really good.

Why do you think it is important to give children an opportunity to play sports?

When you're part of the team, it's like pretty much being a part of a brotherhood; you make a lot of connections, you make a lot of bonds. Also, if you're able to travel outside of where you live like I did, you build a lot of new connections [and] you grow as a person. So, it's really important to get those experiences in life.

Who were some players you watched when you were younger, or still do now that you saw and got inspired from?

Kobe Bryant for his mentality and how confident and competitive he was; he's definitely one of the players that I was looking at growing up. LeBron James in terms of how smart he is and [how] he can play multiple positions. I kind of want to be like that as well, being a taller guy. So, being able to play multiple positions and having a high basketball IQ. Interview was edited for clarity and length

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VOL. 30 // ISSUE 09

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2022

SPORTS Canada //

Cole’s World

Famous rapper J. Cole signs a contract with Scarborough Shooting Stars for the 2022 CEBL season ESHER SIRA The Scarborough Shooting Stars of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) are one of three new expansion teams to join the growing league this season. They are so new that they do not have a complete roster yet. One player that they have introduced is not someone that most fans would have expected: Jermaine Lamarr Cole. Better known as J. Cole, this Grammy award-winning hip-hop star will now lace up his high tops and hit the hardwood for the Shooting Stars in this CEBL season that fans can watch at CBC Sports Live broadcasts and CBC Gem. Pro basketball isn't new for the star rapper. Cole suited up for the Rwanda Patriots in Africa's new league, the Basketball Africa League (BAL), but unfortunately his time in the BAL was cut short as he announced his departure from the Patriots after only three games due to family obligations. Cole has also been spotted training with viral NBA trainer Chris Brickley, practicing shooting and other skills of his game.

“We worked for six to seven months just working on his shot,” said Brickley. “He would go to the studio during the day and come work out with me all night.” This work ethic demonstrated that Cole wasn’t just playing basketball for fun or as a publicity stunt, but to show he is a true hooper.

"There's a desire on [Cole's] end to play basketball; the opportunity is there, he had attempted it last year, and I think he feels more comfortable under this situation, and obviously surrounded by people that he trusts," Mike Morreale, the commissioner of the CEBL, said. Cole has been praised by the commissioner of the league and his trainer but has already earned the respect of his new teammates in only a short period of time during training camp.

“J. Cole, he’s really putting in the work,” said his teammate Olu Famutimi. “Whatever we’re doing, he’s doing probably even more. Comes in early, stays late, and his drive right now, he wants to become better and wants to be known as a guy that can really hoop.”

But this isn't only an opportunity for Cole to showcase his talents on the pro stage; it is an opportunity for fans to experience a

new League that is right in their backyard.

The CEBL has teams stretching from the Fraser Valley to Newfoundland, giving all Canadian basketball fans a team to call their own.

Recently the CEBL welcomed three expansion teams for this season: the Montreal Alliance, Scarborough Shooting Stars, and Newfoundland Growlers. The Shooting Stars is part-founded by Drake’s close friend — and founding partner in Drake's October's Very Own apparel brand — Nicholas Carino.

“Drake had a birthday party in L.A. last year. The conversation was, ‘I heard you have your team.’ It organically grew from there,” Carino said. As Drake and Cole are evidently close friends, the move to play for the Shooting Stars seemed like a no-brainer if Cole was to join a team in the CEBL. J. Cole's arrival to the CEBL has already brought a lot of attention to the league, as the Shooting Stars’ home opener is already sold out. Fans are evidently stoked for the team, and the league is skyrocketing. If Cole has a successful career with the Shooting Stars, does it make sense to keep

the 37-year-old around, since he does have other obligations? Cole will also miss most of the season because of music festivals that he is scheduled to perform at, starting on June 10. At that point of the season, the Shooting Stars will still have 15 more games on their schedule, which means the team will be without him for 75 per cent of the season.

The CEBL season began earlier this month, and Cole has not performed to what the hype made fans hope for, totaling three points in a total of 19 minutes.

Opposing teams have exploited Cole's lack of experience on the defensive end to find easy baskets and make the Shooting Stars an easy team to score on, resulting in the loss of their first two games.

As a growing competitive league, do fans want team roster spots and salary space to be taken up by players who are underperforming, missing most of the season, whose profession is not basketball, and already have millions of dollars? There are players who need the CEBL to not only get better at basketball, but to help them get the recognition and chances to play pro basketball that they deserve.

Canada //

The Battle of Alberta The Calgary Flames versus the Edmonton Oilers in an exciting round two matchup of the Stanley Cup playoffs, reigniting the battle of Alberta ESHER SIRA After years of being in bubbles and battling through adversity, the sports world of 2022 has been an electrifying gift for sports fans. Not only have the NBA season and playoffs been unpredictable and exciting, the NHL playoffs have been an intense thrill ride to witness. Last week, fans got to see the greatest playoff hockey goal, scored by Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche against the St. Louis Blues. But the “Battle of Alberta,” the infamous showdown between Albertan NHL teams the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames, returned in this year’s round two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The rivalry that hasn't played against each other in a postseason duel since 1991 has stretched much further than just hockey. Both Calgary and Edmonton's mayors have agreed to a playful bet which has heavy implications for whoever ends up winning the series. The bet states that the losing city’s council will have to wear the winning team's gear to council, the losing mayor will paint their face in the winning team's colors, and the losing team will donate to a cancer foundation in the winning team’s city.

Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek has confirmed that she will be attending city coun-

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cil on June 7 with an Oilers jersey and her face painted in blue and orange. Members of Calgary's council have shared photos of themselves wearing Oilers jerseys and completing the bet on Twitter. This playful bet between each of the cities’ councils and mayors shows the true Canadian spirit of hockey, which has dated back to hockey's origin in Canada, not only showing the spirit and enthusiasm of hockey fans across Canada, but even the spirit of non-sports fans that started to show as this series highlighted more than just hockey.

The Edmonton Oilers have officially moved on to round three of the NHL playoffs, ending the “Battle of Alberta” in five games. But that doesn't tell the whole story. The talent shown on both teams was evident as game one ended with an astonishing 15 goals total. The Oilers have one of the most talented players in this generation, Connor McDavid, who once again proved why he is in the conversation for one of the greatest hockey players ever.

Alongside McDavid is Leon Draisaitl, who combined for 29 points with McDavid in the “Battle of Alberta,” and together were the main scoring force for the Oilers.

On the other side of the ice, the Flames’ solid squad finished top of their division with an impressive record of 50-21. Led by their young star, Johnny Gaudreau, and veteran enforcer Milan Lucic, the Flames

Edmonton Oilers versus Calgary Flames. 2022. (NHL)

were aggressive on the ice but struggled to defend against the Oilers’ versatile offense. Flames goalie Jacob Markstrom finished the season with a save percentage of 92 per cent and was a main reason for the Flames’ success this season. Unfortunately for the Swede, his performance was not as excellent in round two of the playoffs.

Markstom allowed six goals above expected and did not perform his best, which led to the Flames being knocked out. But Markstrom’s performance did not take anything away from this exciting series between cross-province rivals.

Each game in the “Battle of Alberta” series featured no less than five goals, and the final game was a 5-4 finish in overtime with a game winner by Connor McDavid.

This sent the Oilers to the third round of the playoffs, where they will face Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche, as they beat the St. Louis Blues 3-2. On the other side of the playoffs, the Tampa Bay Lightning look to win their third Stanley Cup in a row and will face the New York Rangers in what should be an exhilarating conference final.

With the Oilers being the last Canadian team in the playoffs, they not only hold the hopes of the city of Edmonton, but all of Canada, as they look to win their 6th Stanley Cup and first since 1990. As spectators, we hope to see another series in the future that was as exciting as the “Battle of Alberta.”

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2022

VOL. 30 // ISSUE 09

ssword Puzzle 30.09 BOOKS STUDY BREAK Crossword //

Made by Anisa Quintyne 1

2

3

ACROSS

DOWN

1. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, a Black woman is haunted by a poltergeist shortly after the American Civil War.

2. Inspired the HBO show Game of Thrones.

4. A parody of the Trojan War with a tragic romance between two lovers.

4. A seasoned millionaire attempts to reunite with his long lost lover in the 1920s.

5. You're a wizard, Harry!

6. On reflection, the protagonist realizes vampires aren't all that scary.

4

5

Sudoku //

9 4

ANSWERS: Across: 2. A song of ice and fire 3. The Hobbit 4. The Great Gastby 7. The Hunger Games

Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, a s haunted by a poltergeist he American Civil War. e Trojan War with a tragic een two lovers. d, Harry!

Horoscopes //

1

5 Across: 2. Inspired the HBO show Game of Thrones.

3. Bilbo Baggins goes on a quest. Surely it goes well.

4. A seasoned millionaire attempts to reunite with his long lost lover in the 1920s.

7. Twelve districts elect two of their people to

8 3

Down: 1. Beloved 4. The song of Achilles 5. Harry potter 8. Dracula

Your weekly realizes life predictions as told by Ageless Azalea in a televised tournament to the the protagonist compete 't all that scary. death.

Aries — Mar 21 to Apr 19 Leo — Jul 23 to Aug 22

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7. Twelve districts elect two of their people to compete in a televised tournament to the death.

Sudoku

6

7

Calm yourself even in the most challenging situations. Be true to yourself and pace your work with limitations in mind. Let your passions motivate you towards what you know is best, and only include what you know will be best for you in your social circles.

Taurus — Apr 20 to May 20 Give advice only when you know it will truly help others. Understand your peers, and eventually you will start to understand yourself and your true intentions, even if it might not be clear at first. Your envy is what drives you, but don’t let that be a factor in what sabotages your future plans.

®

3. Bilbo Baggins goes on a quest. Surely, it goes well.

2

8

3

5 4

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You brighten a room with your presence and can easily put a smile on other people’s faces — one of the reasons why you love being admired by others. If you outgrow this self-centred mindset, then you’ll be open to a more creative outlet.



6

Virgo —Aug 23 to Sep 22 You’re a hard worker who’s practical and loyal to their beliefs. You have many ideas and have the right solutions to the worst problems, but your self-doubt and timidness tend to prevent you from achieving what you want. Once you learn to not be over-critical of yourself and others, you will see a brighter future.

Gemini — May 21 to Jun 20 Generosity will benefit you, ironically enough, which is a force that will gradually bring positive energy Libra — Sep 23 to Oct 22 into your life. You crave the admiration that comes You’re indecisive and hold personal grudges from your versatility, but like the twin sign that you wherever you go, but your cooperative are, you also have a lack of direction that makes you your at education.com/worksheet-generator personality allows you to see both sides of inconsistent. Learn to control thisBuild factor, andown yourcustom worksheet the same story while keeping an open mind. goals will come true. ©neutral 2007 -person 2022 Education.com You’re truly a when it comes Cancer —Jun 21 to Jul 22 to gritty situations, and if you continue Daydreaming is what fuels your inner desires — to show this side of yourself, then your your longing to get lost somewhere in the woods constant search for pacifism will ring true. or in a book. Your imagination is innovative and Scorpio — Oct 23 to Nov 21 the one thing you treasure most. However, your Your jealousy is what holds you back from clingy personality makes you insecure, and brings seeking the beneficial qualities of life, so trouble for those around you; pay close attention make sure to keep your envy at bay so it to this and you will find a happier outcome. Try to doesn't impact anyone else. come out of your shell a bit.

5

7 1 3

1 2 3

9 4

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9 8 6

8

4

4 5

Sagittarius — Nov 22 to Dec 21 Even though you strive for perfection, you’re impatient and frustrated when outcomes don’t go your way. You wish to see the true meaning in everything, even if that means going to greater lengths to achieve them. Keep yourself in order and think before you speak, and you’ll see the Build your own custom worksheet at education.com/worksheet-generator difference in people’s eyes©when they speak 2007 - 2022 Education.com to you.

Capricorn — Dec 22 to Jan 19 You take responsibility for most things even when they’re not your fault. You’re a natural-born leader and strongly dislike it when things don’t go your way. You value tradition and self-control in others, but make sure not to lose yourself by taking on too much responsibility.

Aquarius — Jan 20 to Feb 18 You hate to see it when injustice goes freely without its consequences; you have a humanitarian heart and love helping others in need, including your friends. You’re a good listener and enjoy having thoughtprovoking discussions, but your dislike for limitations occasionally puts you in danger, and your distaste for being lonely makes you a temperamental person.

Pisces — Feb 19 to Mar 20 You’re artistic, gentle, and over-trusting to those who show you the smallest bit of compassion. You find an escape by expressing yourself creatively through music and writing, and love to deep-dive into the most simplistic things. Let your ideas run wild, and you’ll see that there are more opportunities to express yourself than you might think..

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VOL. 30 // ISSUE 09

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2022

ARTS

arts@ufvcascade.ca Danaye Reinhardt — Arts Editor

Movie //

CHARTS

SHUFFLE

1

AARON LEVY Pierre Kwenders José Louis & The Paradox FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT Of Love

2

Basia Bulat The Garden

3

Julie Doiron I Thought of You

4

Destroyer Labyrinthitis

5

PUP THE UNRAVELING OF PUPTHEBAND

6

Apollo Ghosts Pink Tiger

7

Jordan Klassen Glossolalia

8

Patrick Watson Better In The Shade

9

Maylee Todd Maloo

10

Tanya Tahaq Tongues

11

Kendrick Lamar Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers

12

Motto Red Dress (Single)

13 14 15 16

The Milk Faction 1%

18

Fáilte The Saltchuck Set (single)

19

Tymo The Art of a Maniac

20

orion sun Getaway

18

CIVL Station Manager Aaron Levy is in Kingston, Ontario for the 40th National Community and Campus Radio Conference.

The Tragically Hip - “Grace, Too” They’ve built a pier on the waterfront past downtown Kingston, looking out towards Wolfe Island and its rows of windmills, kiddie corner from Queens Universities residences, and where Gord Downie grew up. It’s called Gord Downie Pier, and it’s about five years old. I really like this recent development.

Ye - “Runaway” Writing this, in front of a red tower just East of said pier, an acoustic guitar player croons the words to this epic selftorching take-that queues The Yeah Yeah Yeah’s, and I can’t help but imagine all the d-bags and a-holes that we recognize as builders of a nation.

The Tragically Hip - “38 Years Old” At 38 years old, Gord tells us, Wet Leg he’d never kissed a girl. The Wet Leg tortured stories of Guy-Paul Morin and David Milgaard, Mauve wrongfully convicted CanaDream State EP dians ultimately set free after Adam Ruzzo decades of incarceration for The Land, The Sea, The murder, became secondary People school poetry studies through this historically relevant prose.

Drogue This is the result of Canadian Pas Vrai (single) content funding.

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Can Bad Guys ever be good?

Hey Rosetta - “Ahead By A Century” May have been shuffled before, but this live cover version of possibly the number one most popular and recognizable Tragically Hip song (thanks, Crappy Tire), is as emotional and energetic as it is orchestral and lush with its strings and group contribution. Watch, cry, sing, dance, reminisce, learn and love this.

ALLISON HOLCIK Dreamworks’ latest animated movie, The Bad Guys, was released on April 22. The movie features a group of stereotypically feared animals living alongside humans in a modern city, who are forced to try and become good to make up for the many heists they have worked throughout their lives. Unfortunately, when everyone is scared of you and immediately expects the worst, it is hard to get a fresh start.

There are a lot of good things to be said about The Bad Guys. First, the plot of the film, with its idea that some animals are just “born scary” and have no other options in their life but to continue to scare, is pretty interesting to consider. If one were really to dig into it, it also has a lot of realworld parallels, especially when it comes to being held back by where you were born and what you look like. I’m sure that for kids, this movie had a takeaway of not taking people at face value and understanding that people can be more than just how they look, but for older viewers, this seemingly innocent movie had some hard punches packed into it.

The plot twist of the film was also very funny, with the *spoiler* super friendly and altruistic guinea pig actually plotting to control all the energy production of the world and steal all the money that people donated to his cause for community services. Once again, there is a lot of under-the-surface messaging here that kids probably won’t pick up on, but was interesting for my friends and me as an older audience. The race to develop clean energy and market its production has been an ongoing movement throughout the past few decades, and some very notable names (ahem Musk ahem) have been getting into the game.

The art style that animation director Pierre Perifel has been pioneering for his first feature film was absolutely gorgeous. I am usually not a huge fan of cartoon-style animation, but even I had to recognize that the animation, with its 2-D illustration style, was gorgeous. Alongside the art, the characters themselves were hilarious. From the literal lone wolf, to the hacking gamer-girl tarantula, to the snake with a penchant for guinea pig consumption, each and every animal on screen was a riot from beginning to end.

That being said, there were some pretty huge plot holes in The Bad Guys, the most notable being the lack of any kind of explanation of how some animals in the city became sentient and able to talk, and why not all of them have this ability. For some reason, only the Bad Guys gang, the villainous guinea pig, and the mayor of the town are sentient animals, and every other civilian seems to be human. Which begs the question: how terrible is everyone else in the town, if the best option for mayor was a talking fox? Even more questionable is the very significant plot point of Mr. Snake eating guinea pigs. Are they sentient like Professor Marmalade, or somehow not sentient, like the random cat that Mr. Wolf saves? We never know, and are instead left with the haunting thought: is Mr. Snake eating sentient guinea pigs?

While there is a pretty giant plot hole in the movie, The Bad Guys was still funny and definitely thought-provoking to watch. It had endearingly evil characters, a beautiful art style, a sexy car, and led viewers to mentally explain away the potential ethical issues with eating sentient animals, all within 100 minutes. The over 2,500 people on Rotten Tomatoes that gave The Bad Guys a 93 per cent score were not wrong, but we all might need a glass of wine after watching this flick. Overall, I would highly recommend watching The Bad Guys, just anticipate the philosophizing that will happen after the fact.

VOL. 30 // ISSUE 09

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2022

ARTS Netflix //

Netflix’s newest dating experiment proves that you can’t force commitment SYDNEY MARCHAND From the same producers as Love is Blind and Married at First Sight, The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On brings a new dating experiment to Netflix viewers. Released on April 6, the show features Nick and Vanessa Lachey, who not only host the show but also share their own insights on marriage and relationship ultimatums throughout each episode.

If you’re in a healthy relationship, The Ultimatum will make you thank God for your partner, and if you’re single, it’ll make you thank God you don’t have to deal with a partner. Like most televised dating shows, the entire premise of the series is completely obscure and will make you question the integrity and intentions of each couple from the get-go. But that isn’t to say it isn’t entertaining, because trust me, it is.

Between all of the awkward drama, cringey moments, and toxic representations of “love,” I binged all ten episodes in less than 72 hours and don’t regret it one bit.

To give a quick rundown, the show fea-

tures six couples who volunteer themselves to participate in the experiment with the intention of finding out if they are ready for marriage. One person in each relationship wants to get married but their partner does not, and so they’re given the ultimatum of either separating or putting a ring on it. How do they make this lifealtering decision, you may ask? Each couple breaks up and agrees to date another person in the experiment. The new couples live together in a “trial marriage” for three weeks before returning to their original partners to “compare.” And yes, it’s as messed up as it sounds. Hearts get broken and egos get burned all while others are enlightened to how toxic their original relationship really was.

While the show does a good job at representing a diverse range of races, it fails to include a broader range of identities — be it sexual orientation or social class. Like many other trending series, The Ultimatum features a good-looking group of cis-gendered, straight couples with seemingly privileged lifestyles. And if I’m being honest, this lack of diversity made the show

feel quite repetitive.

Many of the cast members express that their motivation for marriage is a financial one and that the financial stability of their partner is what can “make or break” their relationship. Others, at the ripe old age of 21, feel the social pressures of settling down, having children, and starting a family. Many of them have built lives in the entertainment and social media industry and therefore idealize the aesthetic of marriage (i.e. a big-ass diamond ring), rather than the reality of committing a life to someone. And sure, to some people, all of these things can be valid concerns in a relationship, but it felt strange coming from such a young group of people with very little life experience. In a way, the show reinforces these social pressures to get married and get your shit together in your early 20s by ridiculing those who just weren’t ready for marriage.

At times, however, the show does some good by touching on fertility issues and normalizing how emotionally taxing it can be on oneself and one’s partner. It also expresses the importance of having open

conversations about your “deal-breakers” early on in the relationship and reminds viewers that each of us has a different set of priorities in relationships, and without open communication, you are left fighting solo for your own non-negotiables.

Above all, the show asks the question: if you have to give your partner an ultimatum between marriage or breaking up, should you really get married? If you have to beg (and some of the cast members literally beg) a partner to spend the rest of their life with you, maybe you should take a step back and ask yourself why?

Although I’m not married, I sure as heck know that if that time comes, I want that decision to be a mutual one between my partner and I. Committing yourself to someone — in marriage or not — shouldn’t be a compromise, and despite this show being incredibly cringy at times, it is a testament to how toxic one-sided, superficial relationships can be. Some people just aren’t meant to be together forever, and you shouldn’t have to force someone to love you until you’re old and grey. You’re worth way more than that.

Album //

“Auntie Diaries” by Kendrick Lamar is a swing and a miss Just because your favourite artist is being criticized doesn’t mean you immediately need to defend them KELLYN KAVANAGH On May 13, American rapper Kendrick Lamar dropped his long-anticipated fifth studio album Mr. Morale And The Big Steppers. This record is his latest to drop in five years since his critically acclaimed, Pulitzer prize-winning album DAMN. Lamar is particularly well-known for his enigmatic brand of socially conscious, genre-bending hip hop. With so many major socioeconomic and political events having swept the nation in the time elapsed between records, Lamar’s legions of fans were eager to hear what he had to say.

Of course, Kendrick is no stranger to controversy. With all the anticipation surrounding this latest album, there was also a drop of anticipation regarding potential hot takes. Lamar’s beliefs are a mixed bag, after all. Generally, however, the positive receptions to what he says outweigh the controversies. In 2015, his song “Alright” from the record To Pimp a Butterfly was adopted as an anthem for the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as a major source of critique from right-wing leaning commentators for its anti-police language and imagery. Conversely, his song “The Blacker The Berry” also received controversy due to his comments regarding the Trayvon Martin shooting, with some hea-

ring it as criticism of the Black community. Considering his sometimes-inconsistent history, it’s sensible to see why there might be some apprehension over what he would say over the course of his brand new 73-minute double LP. The result? Well, it’s a mixed bag.

I would like to preface this commentary by saying that I myself am a Kendrick Lamar fan. I’ve eagerly anticipated each of his releases since I first got into his music years ago, and this album altogether is no different. Here’s the thing: just because I (or we) might like something, or agree with the overall message of a song, doesn’t mean it’s well done or that the artist is infallible. Of course, I say this in light of the controversy surrounding the track “Auntie Diaries.”

As we speak, multiple states in the U.S. are violently attacking the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. There’s an ongoing culture war specifically surrounding the rights and validity of transgender people.

Through the song “Auntie Diaries,” Lamar attempts to address his own internalized transphobia and homophobia while opening up room for a larger criticism of antiLGBTQ+ rhetoric within the rap genre. The lyrics talk about his relationship with two of his family members who came out as transgender. In the name of poetic structure and self-reflection, Lamar begins by deadnaming and misgendering his uncle,

before using his correct name and pronouns to highlight his change of attitude.

The same goes for the second half of the track where he discusses his relationship with his cousin, Mary-Ann. Between verses, Lamar repeatedly uses the homophobic F-slur, ultimately leading to the realization that it’s not a slur for him to use as a straight, cisgender male. The song ends with Mary-Ann telling Lamar [regarding the F-slur], “Come sit down/ let's say it together/ the same day I let a white girl say n----”. The line is in reference to an incident where Lamar rightfully stopped a white fan who was rapping on stage with him from using the N–word.

The glaring issue within the song is that despite good intentions, using homophobic slurs in the name of discussing how it’s not his word to use doesn’t highlight as much growth as Lamar seems to think.

Additionally, in the process of expressing a change of heart for his trans relatives, Lamar deadnames and misgenders them repeatedly. Expectedly, the song has been met with a great deal of controversy. The overwhelming majority of Lamar’s cisgender fanbase applaud the artist for his proLGBTQ+ take and attempt at opening the conversation, while many trans commentators have expressed valid criticism over his misguided approach.

It would also be irresponsible to not mention that some trans and non-binary

individuals have expressed appreciation for the song. The overwhelming concern expressed is that in a song being performed supposedly for the inclusion and acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community, Lamar will have stadiums full of straight, cisgender fans all yelling the F-slur when he performs this song. Ironic, considering his message in the final lyric. Additionally, while not as explicitly discussed, Lamar deadnames Caitlyn Jenner in the track. Deadnaming someone we don’t like because we don’t deem them worthy of respect displays an attitude of not recognizing the inherent validity of trans people.

On Reddit, when trans people have expressed their criticism of the song, cisgender fans have jumped to Kendrick’s defense, saying that trans people “just don’t get it.” We get it. We’re not obligated to accept it just because of its message. We deserve better than misguided activism.

Just because an artist is garnering criticism doesn’t mean fans have to rush to his defense. After all, this could be treated as a learning opportunity to be a better ally.

When a community is expressing their concern over an issue that affects them, who are outsiders to say that the community can’t express that? What makes cisgender people believe they are qualified to speak over trans voices regarding a song meant to promote acceptance of the trans community?

19

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.

UFV Events Sports Community Event

june SUS Grad Photo Op @ Abbotsford Evered Hall, 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

SUS Grad Photo Booth @ Abbotsford Evered Hall, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Little oOties Mini Doughnuts Food truck @ Abbotsford Building S, 12:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Open Court @ Abbotsford North Gym, 12:00 - 2:00 p.m.

Drop-in Basketball @ Abbotsford North Gym, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.

SUS Grad Photo Op @ Abbotsford Evered Hall, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

SUS Grad Photo Booth @ Abbotsford Evered Hall, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

In Celebration of Land @ Copper Hall, Mission, 4:00 - 11:00 p.m.

Yarrow Days @ Yarrow, All Day Bend & Brew @ Lake Bottom Cider, Chilliwack, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Walk for Life @ Mill Lake Park, Abbotsford, 12:30 - 4:00 p.m.

Dallas Smith @ Abbotsford Centre, 7:00 p.m.

Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky @ Matsqui Centennial Auditorium, 3:00 - 5:00 pm

Drop-in Badminton @ Abbotsford North Gym, 12:00 - 2:00 p.m.

Self-Care Yoga @ Abbotsford E150, 12:10 - 12:30 p.m.

Open Court @ Abbotsford North Gym, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m

U-Pass Distribution at CEP @ Chilliwack, A1422, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Strength & Conditioning @ Abbotsford E150, 11:30 a.m. - 12:10 p.m.

Open Court @ Abbotsford North Gym, 12:00 - 2:00 p.m.

Indigenous Storytelling & Philosophy for Children @ Virtual, 1:00 2:00 p.m.

Drop-in Basketball @ Abbotsford North Gym, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m RBC Dominion Securities @ Abbotsford B101, 4:30 - 6:15 p.m.

UFV Transitions and Information Event @ Virtual, 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.

Campus Rec Culture

Drop-in Badminton @ Abbotsford North Gym, 12:00 - 2:00 p.m.

Self-Care Yoga @ Abbotsford E150, 12:10 - 12:30 p.m.

Drop-in Pickleball @ Abbotsford North Gym, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Open Court @ Abbotsford North Gym, 12:00 - 2:00 p.m.

Drop-in Basketball @ Abbotsford North Gym, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Public Senate Meeting @ Abbotsford, A225, 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.

Indigenous Drum Making Workshop @ Trethewey House, Abbotsford, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Litter picking with UFV’s Wildlife Protection Club @ Location TBD, 1:00 p.m.

Indigenous Drum Making Workshop @ Trethewey House, Abbotsford, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Drop-in Badminton @ Abbotsford North Gym, 12:00 - 2:00 p.m Self-Care Yoga @ Abbotsford E150, 12:10 - 12:30 p.m..

Open Court @ Abbotsford North Gym, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m

Strength & Conditioning @ Abbotsford Summit fitness center, 11:30 a.m. - 12:10 p.m.

Open Court @ Abbotsford North Gym, 12:00 - 2:00 p.m.

Drop-in Basketball @ Abbotsford North Gym, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m

Drop-in Badminton @ Abbotsford North Gym, 12:00 - 2:00 p.m.

Self-Care Yoga @ Abbotsford E150, 12:10 - 12:30 p.m.

Drop-in Pickleball @ Abbotsford North Gym, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.