The Cascade Vol. 15 Issue 13

APRIL 5 TO MAY 2, 2017

VOLUME 25 ISSUE 13

Doing everyone else’s work since 1993

Provincial Elections pg. 9-11

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

EDITORIAL

A year in review VANESSA BROADBENT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Since this is my last editorial and I couldn’t just think of one thing to give you my opinion on, here’s a breakdown of my opinion on as many of the things that happened over the past year that I could fit into this space.

July 2017 – UFV adds preferred pronoun and name options As of this past fall semester, students applying to UFV are now able to identify their preferred name and gender identity. It’s a change that needed to happen, and kudos to UFV for making it happen.

July 2017 – Pride and women’s centres The Student Union Society (SUS) announced at their July board meeting that they will be opening a pride centre and a women’s centre on the second floor of the Student Union Building. The weird thing about this is that it’s SUS creating these spaces, and not the university, unlike most institutions. It’s happening either way, but it’s more than a little disappointing.

July 2017 – SUS flag display SUS installed an international flag display, representing the countries UFV’s international students were from. Then they took it down in August. Then they finally put it back up in February, this time with Sto:lo, Metis, and pride flags, as well as flags with the SUS, Cascade, and CIVL Radio logos. It’s a cool idea, but it kind of hurts my eyes. And as someone pointed out on The Cascade’s Instagram account last week, the Polish flag is upside-down so right now there’s two Indonesian flags.

August 2017 – Committee to create sexual violence and misconduct policy formed As mandated by the provincial government, UFV started working on a sexual violence and misconduct policy. The cool thing about this is that they included students on the committee, although they weren’t required to do so, and were much more open and transparent about the entire procedure than they needed to be.

Sept 2017 – Dana takes over Dana replaced Sodexo as the food provider on campus, mainly in the cafeteria and wow, what an improvement. Not only is the food slightly cheaper, but it’s also locally sourced, and their breakfast is probably my favourite thing about

UFV right now.

Sept 2017 – Canoe turns into another cafeteria The Canoe used to be my favourite place to get food on campus. Now it’s my least favourite, and not only on campus. To prevent SUS’ food services from being over budget again, when the restaurant reopened in September it was “cafeteria-style,” meaning that instead of normal restaurant service, you order at the counter and then they bring you your food. This isn’t the problem — the problem is that the food is now pretty horrible. Except for the yam fries. But everything else is horrible.

Oct 2017 – Cats on campus In my opinion, this is the most exciting thing that has ever happened at UFV, or at least in my time here. There was a cat that moved on campus, she had kittens, everyone was looking for them, they eventually got rescued, a professor adopted her, and I got to write three stories on the whole thing. It was just great, and may end up being the highlight of my journalistic career.

Oct 2017 – Pinholes in condoms In October, a student poking pinholes in the free condoms offered in a washroom in the Student Union Building lead to promises of condom and feminine hygiene product dispensers installed on campus. I’m afraid to comment on this because of the emails I’ll get from SUS. Just read our previous coverage on it.

Nov 2017 – New myUFV platform UFV updated the myUFV platform in November, and while it looks fancier and all that, you can no longer view your class list. Turns out registering for classes is a lot less fun when you can’t creep all your soon to be classmates on Facebook. I’d go back to the old myUFV, which I never had a problem with, just to have those class lists again.

Nov 2017 – Disability email An email sent out to all student registered with a disability accidentally didn’t blind the recipients so all emails were shown. Someone forgetting to click bcc turned into a huge privacy violation.

That sucks.

Jan 2017 – Jordan Abel as Writer in Residence UFV’s English department brings in a writer in residence each year, but the cool thing this time was that it came with the department’s first ever Literary Arts Week, and a whole bunch of

STAFF Editor-in-Chief Vanessa Broadbent vanessa@ufvcascade.ca

Managing Editor Joel Robertson-Taylor joel@ufvcascade.ca

Business Manager Quintin Stamler quintin@ufvcascade.ca

Copy Editor Kat Marusiak

kat@ufvcascade.ca

News Editor Joel Robertson-Taylor joel@ufvcascade.ca

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other great events focussed on publishing. With experts from local publications including Anvil Press, Geist, and SubTerrain, this was probably the most impactful event that I’ve seen as my time as an English major, and without a question should become an annual thing.

Jan 2017 – Margaret Trudeau Margaret Trudeau came to campus to speak about mental health, everyone made a huge deal about it, and then we all went on living our lives and it hasn’t really been mentioned since.

Jan 2017 – UFV app When I first found out UFV was making an app I thought wow, what a waste of money. But then I downloaded it and started using it. And now I use it a lot. You can check your grades and class schedules, along with a whole bunch of other helpful stuff. Good job on this one UFV. Jan 2017 – CIVL mini school CIVL Radio got a $50,000 grant from the CRFC and used it to bring in industry professionals and give training to students, which they then could use to make radio pieces which they could get paid for. This is probably my favourite initiative that a student society has come up with, and not only this year.

Jan 2017 – Digital Hub It’s not technically a thing that’s happened yet, but UFV contracted Stantec (a professional services company) to help with the pre-planning of the digital hub, a fancy new building that’s going to be built on UFV’s Abbotsford campus. I don’t really know how I feel about this because I don’t really know what a digital hub is. “Architecturally stimulating” and “stimulated innovation and collaboration” and “true entrepreneurial spirit?”

Those are just big words.

Feb 2017 – Presidential search continues Current UFV president Mark Evered is retiring this summer and UFV has spent the past year completing a very careful search to find his replacement, which they did. But he withdrew his application and they had to start the search again. We actually paid the candidate off with hopes that Evered would stay but no dice. Just created a fiasco.

Feb 2017 – Better Wifi UFV announced that it’s spending $450,000 to improve WiFi on campus. According to a UFV survey 47.8 per cent of students thought the WiFi needed improving, but I wasn’t one of

them. It seems like a lot of money to fix a problem that I never noticed needed fixing. I’d be more impressed if they tried to improve the cell service in the Student Union Building. I’m sick of having to find windows to stand by every time I need to send a text.

Feb 2017 – SUS finally found an ED After nearly a year without one, the Student Union finally hired a new executive director.

SUS wouldn’t say why the last one left, but if I made you a bet that it wasn’t voluntary, I probably wouldn’t lose. The good part is that the new ED is a great guy with great experience, and now that SUS once again has adult supervision, it looks like they’re for once on track to get their finances in check and start making decisions that are practical instead of impressive.

March 2017 – SUS elections People ran in the election and people voted in the election. But this time, the winner of the presidential spot is someone that has never had any experience with SUS, and ran on a platform based almost completely on making SUS more fun. This could go either way, but he’s right, SUS could definitely be a lot more fun.

March 2017 – Gender neutral washrooms SUS announced at their March board meeting that they would be changing the washrooms on the second floor of the Student Union Building to be gender neutral — and that they would be spending $3,000 to take the urinals out of what’s currently the men’s washroom. A number of students were upset about this use of funding, saying that those who cared if there were urinals in a gender neutral washroom could just use the one without them right beside it. They were also upset that they had no idea SUS was even going to be voting on this.

March 2017 – SUS gets rid of scholarship Out of all the things SUS has done in the past year, this is the only one that I was one hundred per cent okay with. The $40,000 scholarship that was awarded to a student every year had to be the biggest waste of student funds I’ve seen in my time at UFV. Here’s to hoping that they don’t use it to fund something equally lame. My vote would be on using it to paint a Death Star in the Canoe, kind of like the one that used to be in Aftermath. Actually, they should just use the money to bring back Aftermath.

CONTRIUBUTORS Opinion Editor Panku Sharma

Production Assistant Molly Jones

panku@ufvcascade.ca

molly@ufvcascade.ca

Culture & Events Editor Jeff Mijo

Features Editor Bradley Peters

jeff@ufvcascade.ca

brad@ufvcascade.ca

Arts in Review Editor Martin Castro

Illustrator Amara Gelaude

martin@ufvcascade.ca

Varsity Writer Harvin Bhathal

amara@ufvcascade.ca

Photographer Alexandrah Pahl

Kanika Jham K.J. Clare Kapil Sharma Jennifer Trithardt-Tufts Laura Andres Tallarda Cover: Brittany Cardinal / Vanessa Broadbent Back Cover: Brittany Cardinal

WWW.UFVCASCADE.CA @UFVCASCADE FACEBOOK.COM/UFVCASCADE INSTAGRAM.COM/THE.CASCADE Volume 25 · Issue 13 Room S2111 33844 King Road Abbotsford, BC V2S 7M8 604.854.4529

The Cascade is UFV’s autonomous student newspaper. It originated under its current name in 1993, and achieved autonomy from the university and the Student Union Society in 2002. This means that The Cascade is a forum for UFV students to have their journalism published in an entirely student-run setting. It also acts as an alternative press for the Fraser Valley. The Cascade is funded with UFV student funds, and is overseen by the Cascade Journalism Society Board, a body run by a student majority. The Cascade is published every Wednesday with a print circulation of 1,250 and is distributed at Abbotsford, Chilliwack (CEP), Clearbrook, and Mission UFV campuses and throughout the surrounding communities.

harvin@ufvcascade.ca

Alexandrah@ufvcascade.ca

Production Manager Brittany Cardinal

Distributor Griffy Vigneron

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. Writers meetings are held each Monday at 12:00 p.m. in The Cascade’s office on the Abbotsford campus.

Ad Rep Kayla Normandeau-Cowan

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 400 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.

brittany@ufvcascade.ca

distributor@ufvcascade.ca

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

NEWS NEWS BRIEFS

Surviving UFV Student looking for help from fellow graduates to create UFV surival guide

UBC rises tribute totem pole Saturday marked the day of the rising for UBC’s totem pole. The pole is was created by Haida artist in James Hart and was paid for in part by UBC. As a tribute to the reconciliation with the Indigenous community happening across the country, the pole represents the truth and history of Indigenous people.

Each portion of the pole has meaning and representation, the bottom being prior to the implementation of residential schools, and above it you find imagery of time during the residential school period. An eagle sits atop the pole, symbolizing the unity and moving forward past the oppressive time.

Hart commented saying, “the future is us moving forward” and this totem represents the progress being made between communities.

The pole was pulled up by members of the community and students, Hart is to make fine touches and install a bronze disc with salmon imagery, the totem will stand tall for decades to come.

- The Globe and Mail

Laptops in class majorly hinder performance Using a laptop in class can significantly hinder student’s academic development, a new study suggests.

The study, conducted at a private US liberal arts college and analysing about 5,600 students found that using a laptop in class was found to lower the grades of male and low-performing students most significantly.

The study found that students who used laptops, most commonly in “laptop required” or “laptop optional” classes, ranked between 0.27 and 0.38 grade points lower on a four-point grade point average scale, than those who took notes using pen and paper.

Although the researchers weren’t able to isolate why using a laptop lowered performance, they believed that “cyber-slacking” plays a large role is lowered academic results.

- Times Higher Education

VANESSA BROADBENT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/PHOTO

What do you do when you’ve committed at least four years of your life to studying at an institution and you want to let everyone know how awesome your time there was? You write a book about it — with the help of fellow students.

Well, that’s what graduating student Riley Dueck is doing. With this being his last semester, Dueck was looking for a way to let both UFV and its students know just how great he thinks the university is, and a book was the best way to do that.

The book, which Dueck is planning to publish as an e-book, will have two parts: a survival guide, filled with tips for new students, and a compilation of letters from graduating students and alumni to the university.

“It’s been a great four years and I think writing a survival guide, which I can get into, is a fun way to give back, and at the same time a fun way to bring people together,” he said.

Dueck is turning to the student body for help and is looking for students that are graduating, close to graduating, or have already graduated, to send him letters about their thoughts on UFV that he can include.

“I want this entire section, the letters, to be written by students, a form of just promoting positivity about the school and reflection,” he said.

For the survival guide portion of the book, rather than focusing on the basics, Dueck wants to include the stuff you really need to know — the stuff you won’t find on UFV’s website.

“I call it a survival guide because I don’t want it to be just a guide like ‘to register, log into myUFV,’ none of that,” he explained. “I want it to be completely unorthodox, unconventional.

For example, where are the best washrooms at

UFV? There are times at Tim Hortons that the line actually does diminish at a specific time of day, and then there are other times where you can’t go at all. I want to write a schedule of when you should go to Tim Hortons, etcetera — stuff that OReg wouldn’t be publishing.”

Dueck wanted to create something that was both encouraging to incoming students and the university, and a collection of students’ experiences seemed like an instant obvious choice.

“It was just like the lightbulb went on,” he said. “I wasn’t even thinking about it too much and I just thought letters, let’s do letters.

For Dueck, the book is a way to share the experience he had at UFV, but also help new students prepare for their own.

“I’ve had such a great experience — the small classes, great instructors that I can still have conversations with years after I’ve taken classes with them,” he said. “I’m going into being a teacher, so as an educator I value so highly these educators that poured so much into me and were so relational to me, even though at the university level sometimes there’s a stereotype that that’s not necessary, but here it’s just proven how powerful that is.”

As a general studies student with a minor in English, and a member of the UFV Cascades rowing team, Dueck’s story of attending UFV is limited to what he was involved in, but he’s hoping for the book to include more.

“I only have my experience,” he said. “I only have what I have, so this is my way of broadening the horizon so to speak … I want to hear from people who are taking computer science, people who are in the sciences and math, and people who are taking sociology and history, because that changes your perspective.”

Dueck announced his idea via Facebook last week, and has already gotten a positive and supporting response. He’s even received his first letter already.

“I literally just threw together a Facebook post

and thought let’s see where this goes, and there was a decent response,” he said. “The feedback was very positive and I thought okay, this could be something that’s very cool.”

With final papers and exams still looming, the project is still in outline form, but Dueck hopes to complete it by the end of summer.

“I thought about it in the middle of writing final paper season — those creative breakthroughs always come at the worst time,” he said. “Right now I’m literally in preliminary form, but I’m thinking May / June, I’d love to just hammer this thing out, have some people read it, give me some feedback, and then I’d love to have this published in September.”

At this point, the requirements for submitting letters are not yet set.

“I originally made a rule, and I don’t know how flexible I am on this, that if you finish your third year or higher or you’re an alumni and you just have some praise to spew, by all means, send me a letter,” Dueck said. “By your third year, you’ve been able to experience a lot. You’ve been able to get involved in different areas, and you’ve had a variety of classes and instructors.”

Anyone interested in writing a letter can email Dueck at rileydavidschroederdueck@gmail.com, or find more information through his Twitter (@ RileyDueck).

“The past four years at UFV have been really great and I had a mentor that once told me that in the rough times you have to show exceptional determination, and in the good times you have to show great amounts of gratitude,” he said. “I feel like this is a fun, creative way for me to show a little bit of thanks for the institution I love so much.

“There’s so much good that’s going on and I would love for the institution to hear about it.”

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

NEWS

Harsh words for modern languages Funding cuts for modern languages program sparks concerns about course quality JOEL ROBERTSON-TAYLOR NEWS EDITOR

The bachelor of arts degree at UFV will follow a new set of requirements in the fall, including the completion of what is called a secondary language competency. But issues have been raised by members of the modern languages department about the current way that some language courses are offered, and how they may disadvantage students.

At their last meeting, UFV Senate discussed their 2017/18 budget, which at this point doesn’t include the reimplementation of funds that were cut five years ago.

In 2013, budget cuts led to five language courses having the seminar portion of class disbanded. According to Teresa Arróliga-Piper, department head of modern languages, these cuts are unfair to students, especially with the increase in demand for modern languages courses that comes with the new BA requirements.

“We are putting at risk, the second language requirement, we are putting at risk the students’ success,” she said.

The new second language competency requires students to have completed one of several criteria, such as a high-school grade 11 second language course, language immersion program, or any UFV modern languages 101 course or higher, among other options.

The issue is that only three of the eight modern language courses are accompanied by seminar classes, the conversational side of language learning. According to Arróliga-Piper, the seminars are important for second language education.

Modern Languages used to offer seminars in all of their courses, but as part of its budgetary cuts in 2013, language seminars were cut in five languages: Punjabi, Mandarin, German, Russian and Halq’eméylem. Seminars were retained for three languages at UFV: French, Spanish, and Japanese.

“I am very distraught and I’m very concerned, I want to recommend that modern languages should be supported to have the seminars restored in five of the languages, and it’s not really very costly,” said Arróliga-Piper. “And it is very valuable for student success and student retention.”

Arróliga-Piper explained that even before the 2013 cuts, instructors were paid less than faculty to teach the seminars. The seminars fall under a different contract than classes do and only pay staff rates, which is about $20 per hour. It ended up being the faculty who taught seminars, for a reduced rate, because ac-

cording to the union collective agreement, anyone being brought in to work must work a minimum of four hours, and the seminar is only a 55-minute block.

Seminars are offered in conjunction with language classes, similar to the lab component of a science class, and cutting them has increased the unpaid workload of the sessional instructors of these languages who have given their own time to make up for the loss of their formally paid class hours. To compensate for having no seminars, instructors have had to spent more time with students during office hours and outside of class.

Now with the new BA requirement, Arróliga-Piper said that in order to be fair to students, funding should be restored so that UFV can provide language seminars for all languages and all students.

“Since 2013 we have been putting students at a disadvantage because we are not treating them equally.”

“Since 2013 we have been putting students at a disadvantage because we are not treating them equally,” said Arróliga-Piper.

“People who are coming to learn Mandarin should be treated equally to those learning the main three languages.”

However, the offerings of modern languages is matched against the demand for seats in the program, according to Jacqueline Nolte, dean of the college of arts.

“Funding for Modern Languages has been stable since 2014 / 2015 year. This is again the case in the 2017/18 budget,” she said in an email. “While the evolution of the Bachelor of Arts degree does place emphasis on a second language, the demand for seats

in language classes has not increased. Should the demand rise we will certainly evaluate that demand, consult with faculty, and if required, make adjustments.”

According to the UFV institutional research and planning 2015/16 factbook, modern languages saw an increase of fulltime student enrolment (FTE) of 124 in 2011/10 to 135 in both 2011/12 and 2012/13, then a steady decline every year since, with 117 FTE in 2015/16.

The funding issue The funding issue is one that all B.C. institutions experience.

Funding for universities comes from the government at the provincial level. Universities receive funding, then decide where to allot the money.

Provincial legislation forces B.C. universities to balance their budgets, which means that when the provincial government doesn’t provide enough funding, they either have to cut programs or find other sources of income to stay balanced.

A report from the Federation of Post Secondary Educators (FPSE), released September 2016, says that since 2001, real perstudent operating grants, “the government’s most direct form of support for public post-secondary institutions,” have dropped by 27 per cent, after adjusting for inflation.

The report goes on to say that even despite the two per cent per year cap on university tuition increases, student costs continue to grow because institutions “find other ways to bypass the cap.” A UFV-specific example could be the Experiential Learning and Wellness fee, which charges $2.79 per credit course, on top of tuition.

In an article from the Vancouver Sun, George Davison, president of the FPSE, said that institutions are receiving a lower percentage of their total budgets from government funding. As a result, colleges and universities are cutting programming, increasing the numbers of international students (who pay a much higher tuition), or looking for other sources of funding.

According to Statistics Canada, full-time undergraduate students paid 3.2 per cent more on average in tuition for the 2015/16 year than they did the previous year. The increase is only slightly lower than the 3.3 per cent rise seen in the 2014/15 year.

Above tuition, compulsory fees paid by undergraduate students increased 2.8 per cent in 2015/16 from the previous year.

On average, students paid $838 in additional compulsory fees.

v

The Cascade is hiring an

The Cascade is hiring a Managing Editor

If you’re an excellent writer, thinker, and leader (or can fake the apprearance of those things), you might have what it takes to be the next editor-in-chief of The Cascade.

The Managing Editor works in tandem with the Editor-in-Chief (EIC) to manage staff and ensure a smooth editorial workflow.

Editor-In-Chief

To apply, send a resume, a sample editorial/opinion piece, and a written manifesto of what you would like to see The Cascade become in the next year.

Applications and questions can be sent to vanessa@ufvcascade.ca.

Deadline for applications is April 14.

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The Managing Editor oversees the human resources operations of The Cascade, as well as scheduling, but also assists with editing and writing duties.

Applications and questions can be sent to vanessa@ufvcascade.ca.

Deadline for applications is April 14.

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

NEWS

New trade development announced for UFV JOEL ROBERTSON-TAYLOR MANAGING EDITOR

Trades students at UFV will soon have access to 24,000 square feet of increased shop space for the heavy-mechanical and farm-technology programs.

The $6.5-million project was announced last week, and will see the university paying $1-million with the rest coming from the province.

The new space will house a large shop space, classrooms, and office. Some of the funding will also go towards the purchase of trades equipment for the shop.

As stated in a press release from the Ministry of Advanced Education, “over $18.6 million in capital funding from the Province of British Columbia has already been directed and committed towards UFV since 2012-13.”

Funded projects include building renovations and facility development.

UFV heavy duty mechanical trades foundation student, Jamie McLellan, said the development would greatly improve the learning environment.

“This funding means we’ll be working on additional machinery that we’ll see in the real world — so our first day on the job is not really our first day,” McLellan said. “This helps us with our training and takes us one step closer to making our dreams — for ourselves and our families — one step closer to reality.”

The province predicts that there will be nearly one million job openings in British

Columbia over the next decade, and eight out of 10 of these openings will require postsecondary education.

In an email, John Martin, Chilliwack MLA, said, “The BC Government is making record investments in modern, safe infrastructure projects across the province — and in doing so, these construction projects are creating high-paying, family supporting jobs.

These investments are possible because of a strong fiscal plan — and through each, the Province is building a strong B.C. The new space for UFV is an investment in the future of students and in addressing the need for skilled trades in the community and throughout B.C. UFV heavy mechanical students will benefit from being able to complete their entire apprenticeship training in one location.”

Chilliwack-Hope MLA Laurie Throness also commented on the development.

“Every university comes to be known for something. People go to Waterloo to do math and computing, for instance, or engineering at Queen’s. UFV is fast becoming known as a trades and technical training hub, which is intensely practical and of great value to students, as well as B.C.’s economy. The new building will cement our growing reputation,” he said.

With files from Dave Pinton

Stories worth paying attention to #DalaiLamaCreatesTensions India-China contentions rise as Dalai Lama visits India As the Dalai Lama lands in India, backlash comes out of China. India said on Tuesday that China should not interfere with India’s affairs as the Dalai Lama visits India. China has claimed the Tibetan state as a portion of China, and has threatened to damage Indian-Chinese relations if the Dalai Lama makes the visit to India.

The Dalai Lama is visiting Arunachal Pradesh this week, and India is not looking to cancel or interfere with any Dalai Lama travel plans. Kiren Rijiju, India’s Junior Home Minister, commented: “Arunachal Pradesh is an inseparable part of India … and that as a democratic country, India cannot interfere in the religious affairs of any community.”

Despite the controversy, hundreds gathered for the arrival of the Dalai Lama in Bomdila, a Arunachal Pradesh town.

- The Star

#InquiryIntoTheInquiry Missing and murdered women’s inquiry failing to reach families, advocates say Two months before hearings are set to begin, a coalition of advocacy groups and families stated that the national missing and murdered Indigenous women’s inquiry failed to make adequate contact with loved ones and survivors.

The Coalition on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in British Columbia is demanding that the federal, provincial, and territorial governments ameliorate their efforts in communicating with families who have been through such events.

Recent reports suggest that only 100 family members have been located, but a 2014 RCMP report identifying nearly 1,200 missing or murdered Indigenous women. Many members of families and advocacy groups have expressed deep concern for what they believe to be inadequate measures taken by the government parties.

- The Globe and Mail

#MiningForAConviction Who will pay for the worst mine spill in Canadian history?

Taxpayers may be on the hook for cleanup costs as criminal charges for a mine tailings pond spill were dismissed early this week.

In summer 2014, Mount Polley mine’s tailings dam collapsed, spewing 25 million cubic metres of contaminants. Imperial Metals, Mount Polley Mining Corp’s parent company, have gone without penalties, charges, or fines. Ugo Lapointe, Mining Watch Canada’s program coordinator, stated “this was the biggest mining spill in Canadian history and there have been zero sanctions and zero fines.”

The B.C. Conservation Officer Service continues the investigation, but the long process is making the statute of limitations a concern for some of the offences. Mining Watch is paying close attention to the proceedings and may take the case to higher court, but hopes pressure from the public will yield more fruit. The cleanup cost estimated by Imperial Metals has not changed in the past two years, and sits at $67-million. Independent analysts expect British Columbians to pick up a $40 million portion of the bill.

- The Tyee

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www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

OPINION

SNAPSHOTS

Curtailed commentary on current conditions Aw, rats.

Globe and Fail

Panku Sharma

I don’t have the most enlightened respect for journalism or writing for someone who both works at a newspaper and has a minor degree in English. That’s not to say there isn’t brilliant work being done by talented individuals, or fulfilling and important stories being told by writers — I think I just get tired of the selfimportance.

You look at professional sports or the medical field and I think it’s fair to say you’re looking at the best of the best when it comes to that specific skill. However, when it comes to media and art, the industry out there right now is populated by some of the silliest, most untalented, and inept people that our species has to offer.

Leah McLaren had a career, folks, as a writer.

Leah McLaren is by all accounts an adult person who thought that her positive and quirky contribution this month to the public discourse would be a column in the Globe and Mail where she recounted going to a party, entering the room of Conservative leadership candidate Michael Chong’s infant (although there is something off about the timeline that many reporters have picked up on), and then attempting to breastfeed it when she herself was not lactating.

She played it off like it was a dumb but hilarious b-plot in an episode of Girls.

She’s either the perfect example of clueless media scenesters or one of the most profoundly dark but talented irony trolls of our generation.

Depends how much credit you give her.

Jeff Mijo

Embracing Uncertainty

Kanika Jham

Illustrations: Amara Gelaude

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As students we are worried about our future all the time, moreover because we have certain expectations to meet and goals to achieve. It is human nature to feel that we are masters of our own ship, but in the midst of all this we forget that uncertainty is inevitable.

Yes, unpredictable things happen, but what we forget is the importance in embracing uncertainty. After all, what is the pleasure in a story without hurdles, without having to step out of your comfort zone? You’ll miss the feeling of accomplishment, the feeling of being terrified after taking an unknown leap of faith, and the strength of pushing boundaries of possibility.

It is the nature of comfort to shrink our potential, while uncertainty pushes us to explore what more we are capable of achieving. Leave it on “fate” to give you false hope, but take it upon yourself to stand up no matter what challenges life injects within you. Don’t let the convenience of time or sadness of a situation let you procrastinate the next best action you need to take in order to grow, no matter how uncertain it might be.

In this unpredictable and fast-changing world take that risky next step, because even if you don’t succeed at least you will have an inspiring story to tell.

If you read my article about cars last week, you’ll know that mine needed some work. To save money, I decided to try fixing it myself, swapping my defective heater core with one from an old car that my parents hadn’t used in years. That car had a bit of a smell, but once I got the panels under the dashboard off, I realized it was more than just musty. Wedged between the stereo and the heater core was a bunch of dried grass, shreds of paper, a granola bar wrapper, and some fur.

I hoped it was just mould. It wasn’t. I prodded at it with a screwdriver. Solid, but clearly not alive. At least it wasn’t going to bite me. I pried it out from the cramped nest, and once it came unstuck, a dead rat the size of my fist slid out and landed upside down on the floor of the car.

You can tell yourself that you’re not squeamish or bothered by rodents as much as you want, but let me just say that unexpected dead rats in cramped spaces are not going to brighten your day. In the end it wasn’t a big deal. I had gloves on, I finished the job, and (at the time of writing) my car is less likely to explode. But I suppose the trauma of the surprise dead rat is, at the very least, one compelling reason to have a professional fix my car next time.

Cupcake Bartering

Martin Castro

You know what bothers me slightly?

When a friend or co-worker surprises you with a sweet little plate of cupcakes that are only really store-bought cupcakes, but at least they went through the trouble of taking that weird plastic bottom-of-the-cupcake liner off of them before putting them on a plastic plate.

You know, the kind that imitates nice china with embroidery on it? Or the china version of embroidery.

Immediately after you have taken a bite of this tasty morsel your friend or co-worker has so kindly delivered to you out of the goodness of their heart, they go: “You ate it! By eating this cupcake you agreed to bring me some other treat later this week!”

What’s worse is when they don’t immediately demand a return cupcake.

But then you see them at the water cooler on Thursday and they go: “What the fuck, dude.

Where’s my cupcake?”

I don’t know, guy. But if you’re gonna give out cupcakes, don’t expect a return cupcake unless you ask for one. Also don’t call it a gift cupcake if it’s a barter cupcake.

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

OPINION

The Myth of the Ten Foot Rattlesnake Combatting popular snake-slander

Why most textbook readings should be assigned after the class This isn’t me being lazy.

Seriously, think about it PANKU SHARMA OPINION EDITOR

K.J. CLARE

CONTRIBUTOR / PHOTO

Picture this: you’ve just brought home a new puppy. You’re thrilled and snapping all kinds of pictures of your adorable new companion to show your friends and family. But then you start reading the comments. “Aren’t you afraid of it?” “What if it bites you?” “Haven’t you heard about the one that killed those kids? Those are dangerous!” “I’m never coming over to your house again.”

Welcome to the daily life of a reptile keeper. I don’t think I’ve ever gone through a single conversation about my pets without somebody telling me that they should all be killed, or that they’re “unsuitable” for families, or that my three-foot corn snake is going to swallow me whole one day. Misinformation has certainly always been one of the largest obstacles for reptile enthusiasts, leading to cruel practices like the infamous “rattlesnake roundups” in the Midwest and Southern United States, where snakes are killed by the thousands for sport.

Allow me to bust a few popular myths: The Slimy Snake: While amphibians (such as toads and salamanders) secrete a protective layer of mucus to keep them hydrated and allow them to breathe properly, snakes are actually dry and smooth to the touch. Their scales are primarily made of keratin — the same thing hair and fingernails are made of.

The Man-Eater: This one gets me every time. Not only do we not have any species even remotely close to us in Canada and the U.S. that are big enough to try, but the attempt would likely prove fatal for the snake. While some snakes (namely anacondas, African rock pythons, and reticulated pythons, which you won’t find anywhere in Canada outside of zoos and strictly regulated facilities) can grow large enough to eat small deer, it’s rare that they do, simply because of the amount of time large prey takes to digest.

Like birds, they will often regurgitate a large meal if they are threatened, and that process is very damaging and sometimes fatal on its own. When they do eat large prey, they are essentially “stuck” until they finish digesting — in a couple weeks!

I Was Chased by a Snake!

Not exactly. A typical snake encounter is simply hearing them slither away because they heard you coming. Save for a handful of species, every snake you encounter in the wild will run away if given the opportunity — the same as almost any other wild animal. In some cases, both of you with happen to choose the same escape path, leading to the feeling of being chased — and the snake probably feels just as freaked out about that as you!

If you corner them, or if they feel threatened enough, they may posture and strike at you, but if you simply back up and walk

away, you’ll see them hightail it out of there as fast as they can.

If you don’t want to get bitten, don’t bother them. Walk away.

Easy.

Venomous Bites: The likelihood of being bitten by a venomous snake in Canada is very, very small. Out of over 3,400 species of snakes known, only approximately 30 species are found in Canada (nine in B.C.), and only four of those are venomous. Only one of those four is found in B.C. — the Northern Pacific rattlesnake, whose bites are very rare and usually occur when people try to handle or kill the snakes.

Even if you do beat the odds and get bitten, it isn’t likely to do a lot of harm. According to data from the World Health Organization, less than 0.02 per cent of snake bites result in fatalities.

Lesson? Leave them alone, and they’ll leave you alone.

The Girl-Measuring Python: Do you see snakes on the Discovery Channel stretching out beside mice to see if they’ll fit? The legend of the snake “measuring” its owners in preparation for an eventual meal is unfortunately popular because of a widespread fear of slithering creatures. If a snake cuddles up to you, it’s more than likely attracted to your body heat. Snakes are cold-blooded, meaning they control their body temperature with external measures — like basking in the sun, or curling up in a warm place.

The 10-Foot Rattlesnake: There is no 10 foot rattlesnake. In fact, the pictures of “giant snakes” you see in clickbait ads on Facebook are often relying on a technique called forced perspective to make an ordinary snake look gigantic. Forced perspective involves holding the object of the picture closer to the camera so that it looks larger in comparison to the background of the photo. Next time you see a “giant rattlesnake” article, take a look at how the person is holding the snake. Is it stretched towards the camera on the end of a stick or a snake hook? They’ve most likely taken a photo of a regular sized snake using forced perspective.

Photos like these are extremely harmful to the reptile community, as they propagate blind fear and misinformation that lead to pet bans, mass killing of native species, and unwarranted discrimination against a terribly misunderstood animal.

Snakes are not the terrible creatures everybody thinks they are. They are not malicious, vengeful, or plotting anyone’s demise. They are not out to get you. In reality, they make wonderful pets — they’re quiet, hypoallergenic, and only need to eat once every two to three weeks due to a slow metabolism. They might not be the pet for everyone, but people need to set aside their misconceptions and biases and learn to not be afraid of things they don’t understand.

If you are lucky in this life, you might be granted a moment of clarity that will shake the foundations of everything you’ve believed up until that point and put you on the course for a brighter and better tomorrow. Few people are afforded this opportunity, fewer still more than once. I’ve had three in my life: when I realized I’d spent the past few years unable and unwilling to allow myself to feel or connect with others on a meaningful level and that unless I changed it was going to lead me down a path that would only get worse, when I made the right girl laugh, and just a few weeks ago when a professor mentioned the benefits of assigning reading after rather than before the lecture to aid in comprehension.

Out of respect for the professors’ safety in the coming Faculty Association Civil War that might arise out of this proclamation, I will keep their identity anonymous, but every ounce of my being wishes to proclaim them our saviour to lead us to the better tommorrow I mentioned earlier. If I only had heard the sweet words of wisdom sooner, but alas I was converted only midway through my last semester. The only thing I can do is pass on this realization to you, the next generation of students looking to not only have a better learning experience at this university but also possibly to try and justify our laziness and inability to keep up with the syllabus.

Granted, this general rule of thumb doesn’t work for all programs or course types. I can’t speak to the experience of anyone who hopes to wear a labcoat, practice medicine, build bridges, or use loopholes in the tax system to get out of paying their future employees a fair wage. But, generally speaking, when it comes to the soft / social science courses where we have to talk a lot of theory and translate it into practice this rule may prove useful.

I think the best example would be one of my textbooks, which new would run a student around $180. While it’s a new edition, it’s also incredibly Americanized (contexts and examples that are irrelevant to us) and also goes into incredibly in-depth tangents into material that we will neither be tested on nor need in the field. (I don’t need to know the biological explanation and implications for every type of common STI.) Added up, this means weekly readings average around 80-100 pages or so. Even if you do manage to keep up, half the information never comes up in the lecture or class discussion. Now, if we had the lecture before the chapter was assigned, not only would we get a good overview that could help channel our energy and scope in the readings, but we could also have livelier class discussions as people would be more willing to engage if we start out at the same level. There wouldn’t be that anxiety of being called on to answer something that you’re supposed to know for the chapter you didn’t read.

This isn’t a simple change to make though, instructors would have to reshape how their classes function and make good use of class time to get students engaged with the material presented (that means more in-class discussion and breakout groups) and have their minds ready and primed to explore further in the reading material. It should be a supplement and not just a roadmap to a Scantron. Honestly, at this point I’m ready to advocate for any idea that will shake up teaching styles and habits at this university; there are classrooms in D building that still have VHS players.

7

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

OPINION

A White Lie How race matters KAPIL SHARMA CONTRIBUTOR

Jesus Christ.

What did you think of when you read that?

For some it’s just an exclamation for when someone cuts them off abruptly in traffic. Most likely though, it probably conjured the image of some skinny white guy with long hair and a beard, you know, like the one Mel Gibson picked for the Passion of The Christ.

And that’s the problem. This image is ingrained in our minds, cities, campuses, and religious studies classes, and worst yet — some people love this.

NBC’s Megyn Kelly, back when she was working at Fox News, remarked in a 2013 broadcast that “Jesus was a white man, too. He’s a historical figure, that’s a verifiable fact, as is Santa, I just want kids to know that. How do you revise it in the middle of the legacy in the story and change Santa from white to black?”

The fact is that Jesus was not white. He was brown. There is major historical consensus that the skin colour of Jesus was brown. The Atlantic’s Jonathan Merritt states: “Consensus is that Jesus similar to most first century Jews was a dark skinned man.” Go looking for the historical Jesus. Make the trek and what do you find? A brown guy. Despite Fox News, and despite medieval assumptions connecting whiteness with light, divinity, significance, and complexity, Jesus was not in fact white.

Why does this matter? Because it’s the truth and more impor-

tantly, an ironic truth. Christianity and whiteness go hand in hand. After Jimmy Carter, white Christians, especially conservative evangelicals, have continually harmed minorities. Jimmy Carter, who in his first election win was supported by white evangelicals (the last Democrat to win among this group) who embraced his vision for care of the poor and equality, saw the tide turn with the rise of the moral majority and inherent racism in the group. Randall Balmer, a Dartmouth professor articulates the reasoning fuelling the switch to the Republicans by saying, “The religious right, who liked to call themselves the ‘moral majority’ at the time, actually organized around fighting to protect Christian schools from being desegregated. It wasn’t Roe v. Wade that woke the sleeping dragon of the evangelical vote. It was Green v. Kennedy, a 1970 decision stripping tax-exempt status from “segregation academies” — private Christian schools that were set up in response to Brown v. Board of Education, where the practice of barring black students continued.”

Gandhi once remarked how shocked he was when an Indian friend of his who converted to Christianity was pressured into wearing a European wardrobe. Furthermore, we can’t forget the systemic effort to take the “Indian out of the Indian” in the residential schools right here in Canada. Many Christians have been determined to sustain racial / cultural oppression of the Palestinians. Many of them vote to stop minorities from coming into the country. Some go as far as to support racial profiling.

And yet here’s the kicker: Jesus himself would have been profiled and seen through these lenses described above. He was not, according to one black theologian “made in their image.” God

Letter to the Editor ALEC ZINMAN A few days ago, I found out that SUS has approved the changing of all the bathrooms on the second floor of the Student Union Building into gender neutral facilities. As someone who is transgender, you might think I was happy with this decision, but in fact, I am rather upset and perplexed by it.

First, we have to look at what this change entitles. To accommodate the change, it’s not as simple as replacing the signs above the doors. To make the men’s room gender neutral, the urinals would need to be removed.

SUS has approved the reconstruction of the men’s washroom to remove the urinals, which is a $3,000 undertaking. This is where my issues arise from. This is a large expense to come out of student funds — a large expense which, until the decision had actually

been approved, I had heard nothing about, and neither had a large portion of the student body.

Is it really justifiable to spend that much of student funds, on what can be seen as hardly more than a political statement? There are already gender neutral bathrooms on each floor of the building, and from experience, I can say that I have never had an issue with them ever being occupied.

To spend this money on renovating a perfectly functional bathroom, when the transgender community already has access to adequate facilities, seems completely unnecessary and facilitates nothing other than creating demands for the sake of demands, which will do nothing but raise tension against the Pride Collective, and in turn, the LGBTQ student body as a whole.

was not, according to the tradition and narrative, white.

So what does this mean for churches in Abbotsford? They need to look in the mirror and ask, “Why?” As in why do they continue to sustain the false image of Jesus? Is it because the idea that the New Testament revolves around a brown Middle Eastern family (on the run as refugees by the way) poses too much of a political threat? Is it the fact that much of global Christianity now has shifted to the two-thirds world made up of primarily Asian and African descent too much of a bitter pill to swallow for the North American church? Is it that they are too lazy or flippant to avail themselves of the subtle, innocent, nonmalicious racism that is highly characteristic of Canada? Or is it that realizing the one they worship might not be quite what they imagined opens the door for more serious questions about their own doctrination and belief formation?

While they figure it out, and figure it out they must, here’s the challenge for those who have ears to hear as the ancient brown man would say: Save yourself from the white Jesus.

Embrace the brown Jesus.

Embrace reality instead of hate.

Realize race does matter until the day it actually doesn’t matter anymore.

And paint him brown.

For Christ’s sake.

2017 Spring Festivals

April 1, 2017

May 13, 2017

April 8, 2017

May 27, 2017

Inlet Park, Port Moody Thunderbird Square, Abbotsford

April 15, 2017

Cloverdale Fairgrounds

May 6, 2017

Fraser River Heritage Park, Mission Spirit Square, Coquitlam

June 3, 2017 City of Langley

Chilliwack Heritage Park

THE CASCADE

IS HOLDING AN ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING WEDNESDAY APRIL 11 @ 1 pm S2111

8

WE HAVE PIZZA

www.FVFoodTruckFestival.com Hosted by Memory Laine Events Inc. Laine@MemoryLaineEvents.com 604.354.7590

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017

THE ELECTION IS COMING

CONTINUED

FEATURE

This will help you pretend like you know something By: Bradley Peters and Panku Sharma

BC NDP

BC Liberals

BC Conservatives

The main party in opposition with 35 seats in the legislature, the BC NDP are coming into election season with a slight advantage in polling of 38 per cent to the Liberals 34 per cent. Doing well in higher density areas, the NDP present a relatively progressive left wing platform and alternative to the BC Liberals, although their wide tent means they often have to negotiate a balance between different groups, such as resource industry unions and environmentalists. The ‘90s saw the NDP in government due to a divided opposition (there used to be a Social Credit Party that was very powerful in BC for many years) however the multiple leaderships (Michael Harcourt, Glen Clark, and Ujjal Dosanjh) were inundated with scandal and unpopularity, which the BC Liberals leveraged into a win in 2001. While they have the volunteer base and infrastructure to run candidates in almost every riding, they do not have the same amount of fundraising capacity as the Liberals and have in fact said they are committed to banning union and corporate donations if they win. John Horgan, the party leader, will have to make himself recognizable to voters and present platforms that balance multiple interest groups and stakeholders. In the leadup to the election, they have advocated for child care, minimum wage increases, and abolishing the MSP to instead fund it through income tax.

An important thing to note for those unfamiliar with B.C. politics is that the BC Liberals do not share platforms with the federal Liberal Party — while they share a name, the BC Liberals occupy a space that is more centre to centre-right. Having been in power since 2001 under Gordon Campbell (Christy Clark took over in 2011 after he resigned) they have a long resume of projects and growth which means an advantage for those who crave stability.

However, the 16 years in power also means they have more baggage and scandals that can be used by their opposition; including the sale of BC Rail, the Site C Dam, the housing crisis, and the state of money and corporate influence in politics. Typically they do well in lower density or rural areas, and have announced plans to cut MSP premiums in half.

They currently hold 47 seats in the provincial legislature.

As the BC Liberals have positioned themselves as the centre-right choice and champions of free enterprise, the BC Conservatives have struggled and not held a seat since 1986.

Polling going into the election has seen their support as high as 10 per cent and they have offered a platform that includes emphasis on resource development, family, ferry services, and even a plan for a bridge between Vancouver and Gabriola Island. However, their weakness lies in their weak structural capacity to fundraise, field candidates, and get the exposure necessary to compete; because of a multitude of reasons they have not qualified to appear on the televised debates during the election. Even if they did qualify (through candidates and popular vote thresholds) they do not currently have a party leader, as the last one was disqualified because a meeting did not meet quorum.

Their immediate goal in the coming weeks will be to try and field as many candidates as they can in the 87 constituencies before the deadline of 1 p.m. April 18. As of March 30, they had six selected candidates (including Justin Greenwood for Langley) and nine ridings in either the interview or active recruitment phase (including Chilliwack Kent).

The Green Party of British Columbia The BC Greens, as of a March 26 poll, are coming into the election with support around 15 per cent, with much of this concentrated on Southern Vancouver Island, the Sea-to-Sky region, and Vancouver. The party, with a platform focused on environmentalism and traditional conservation, won their first seat in 2013 with their leader Andrew Weaver for the constituency of Oak Bay-Gordon Head. It’s not as easy to place them on a political spectrum as you would expect, they enjoy support from both left and right wing, which means both major parties will try and court their voters depending on the local issues; their values tend to be unique to the specific cause. This year the party decided to ban corporate and union donations, in response to the controversies around the role of money in politics in B.C. and also because they rely more on grassroots and individual donors anyways.

As of March 30 they have 69 candidates out of 87 ridings listed on their website.

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www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017

FEATURE

BC Politics Crash Course There are going to be some some scandals, developments, and movements that aren’t mentioned, but this should give you an idea of how we’ve come to the choices before us in 2017.

Hindus disenfranchised (Komagata Maru incident in 1914)

Provincial civil servants disenfranchised (repealed in 1990)

16 19

07 19

Japanese disenfranchised

9

Teachers prohibited from voting or campaigning (they can vote again in 1883)

9 18

95 18

Property qualification for voting dropped

78 18

Chinese and native Indians disenfranchised

76 18

71 18 British Columbia becomes 6th province of Canada

74 18

66 18 Vancouver Island and Colony of BC are joined

Clergy no longer prohibited from running and sitting as MLAs

2017 Electoral Timeline

•

April 18th (Candidate nomination deadline 1pm)

•

April 29 to Sunday, April 30th (8am to 8pm, advanced voting)

•

May 3rd to Saturday, May 6th (8am to 8pm, advanced voting)

•

May 9th (8am to 8pm, General Voting Day)

91 19 96 19

As recommended by the Electoral Boundaries Commission, number of seats increased from 75 to 79

95 19

92 19

9

Fixed election dates instituted

9 19

As recommended by the Electoral Boundaries Commission, number of seats increased from 79 to 85

April 11th (“Writ Drop”, election officially starts)

01 20

8

10

First successful initiative petition collects more than 10 per cent of registered voter signatures to end the HST, the referendum is held the next year by mail-in ballot

0 20

Christy Clark was elected by a Liberal leadership convention and assumed office in 2011. Under her leadership, the party shifted closer to the centre than under Campbell, with increases in minimum wage, and also celebrated the party’s “free enterprise” spirit by encouraging development of natural resources. The NDP have gained back strength and support in recent years, however, drawing on dissatisfaction with things like the negotiations with the British Columbia Teachers Federation and big budget projects with little oversight such as the Site C Dam.

As recommended by the Electoral Boundaries Commission, number of seats increased from 85 to 8

10 20

In 2005, a recommendation was made by a Citizen’s Assembly to replace FPTP with a Single Transferable Vote system to be implemented in 2009. A referendum was held, but was three per cent short of the required 60 per cent to make the proposal binding.

A second referendum was held in 2009, but only garnered 39 per cent of voter support.

15 20

Gordon Campbell’s government from 2001-11 saw tax cuts, sale of government assets, deregulation, and reductions in some social services and welfare. The centre-right alternative campaigned against the mistakes and scandal of the ‘90s, but the Liberals were not without their own controversies. Particularly questions around the privatization of BC Rail (which led to warrant searches of the legislature) and implementing the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST). Eventually with his approval rating as low as nine per cent, he was forced out in March 2011.

01 20 17 20

With the SoCreds gone, an incredibly unpopular NDP draining support, and facing a left-wing threat from a growing emerging Green Party, the Liberals swept the legislature taking 77 of 79 seats in 2001.

•

Voting age lowered to Recall legislation 18 from 19, steps made comes into force, for easier voting day constituents have registration mechanism to

Baggage, infighting, and scandal had badly damaged the SoCreds, were were swept out of power in 1991 by the NDP. The Liberal party emerged as the new official opposition (and split their center-right vote), and the SoCreds eventually broke up by the mid 90s.

While there were strides (and repercussions) of a center-left and progressive government agenda- this era is mostly known for scandal. Both Mike Harcourt and his successor Glen Clark were brought down and forced to resign due scandal. Although he was personally uninvolved Harcourt took the political damage from a former NDP MLA using charity bingo

remove their MLA. In 1998 Paul Reistma would resign hours before he would have been recalled.

money to fund partisan campaigning (re: Bingogate).

Glen Clark’s government mismanaged BC Ferry upgrades which led to massive cost overruns, delays, and failed expectations. His home was also searched

by RCMP on live television and he was accused of accepting a free deck renovation in return for approving a casino application (re: Casinogate). He was eventually acquitted of any criminal charges in 2002.

Dan Miller served as interim Premier for 6 months after Clark, until Ujjal Dosanjh (Canada’s first IndoCanadian Premier) was chosen by a convention and served from February 2000 until the summer of 2001.

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017

FEATURE

45 19 952 1

4 19

Prohibitions against Chinese and Hindus removed.

Prohibitions against Mennonites and Hutterites removed

8

9

4 19

5 Franchise extended to women (Mary Ellen Smith is the first woman to run and be elected as MLA the next year)

Parties at the provincial level were introduced under Conservative Premier Sir Richard McBride. Before that time, members of the legislative assembly were non-partisan.

From 1903 until 1945 the province saw 7 premiers (2 of whom died in office) as power alternated between the Conservative and Liberal Parties.

47 19

03 19 44 19

4 19 17 19

Members of prohibited groups, if otherwise qualified, allowed to vote if they served in either World War

Prohibitions against Indians and Japanese removed

A Conservative and Liberal coalition was formed to stop the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (which would one day become the NDP) from taking power. This period in time also saw major infrastructure and rural development projects, including Highway 97 that now runs from Osoyoos to Watson Lake in the Yukon.

WAC “Wacky” Bennett Became the leader of the SoCreds partly on the basis that as a former conservative he was one of the few members of the 1952 caucus who had legislative experience. Under his reign there was

Electoral Reform

the creation of many crown corporations and public operations such as BC Ferries, BC Hydro, BC Rail, Medicare, and the Bank

Social Credit theory loosely emphasizes production for the sake of

of British Columbia.

consumption by the people (so they can thrive and flourish) rather

Evidence of the regionalism at the time can be seen when in 1962

than profit, but in practice over it’s history the Social Credit Party in

Prime Minister John Diefenbaker planned to hold a ceremony

BC became the de-facto center-right alternative to the CCF/NDP

in Rogers Pass to mark the connection of the Trans Canada

as former Liberal and Conservative members joined.However

Highway. Bennett held his own ceremony a month earlier down

while moderna Liberals might be said to view government as a

the road in Revelstoke to declare the BC Highway open, with no

business, in it is often said the SoCreds viewed it as a kingdom

mention of Canada or Federal involvement.

and were more populist in addition to being fiscally conservative.

First past the post voting was reinstated in 1953.

Leading the now officially rebranded NDP, Dave Barrett took advantage of the stagnating SoCred reign and overtook the party in the 1972 election. While in power the NDP passed on average a new bill every 3 days.

This time saw the establishment of both the Insurance Corporation of BC (ICBC) and the Agricultural Land Reserve which to this day are on completely opposite ends of the enduring popularity scale.

The sudden change and increased spending and deficits however reignited their opposition.

75 19 91 19

Coalition governments are prone to infighting, so when they saw the end of the partnership coming near of the last acts of the Coalition was to institute an Alternative Vote (also known as Instant-runoff or Ranked Choice) electoral system. This system would, if no one receives an absolute majority (50%+1) then candidates in parties are eliminated starting from the bottom and the ballots are recounted. The hope of the Coalition was that Liberal voters would list their second preference as Conservative and vice-versa. However second preference votes instead went to the British Columbia Social Credit Party, which itself didn’t expect to win.

The BC Liberals were reduced to 3rd place, the newly rebranded Progressive Conservatives to 4th.

72 19 975 1

52 19 72 19

8 19 Royal commission on electoral boundaries recommends more districts and elimination of multi-member ridings. Seats go from 69 to 75.

8

86 19 Out-of-province absentee voting allowed. First IndoCanadian to win a seat in a Canadian legislature is Moe Sihota

The SoCreds came back, although with less megaprojects (the Coquihalla being an exception) and more curbing of unions and social welfare spending. Bill Bennett (son of W.A.C.) was the first leader, but was succeeded by Bill Vander Zalm upon his retirement.

Vander Zalm however was embroiled by controversy and lost his grip on the party- he resigned after a conflict of interest scandal in 1991. The interim leader Rita Johnston was Canada’s first female premier.

11

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

STUDY BREAK v CROSSWORD

ACROSS

DOWN

1 A genetically identical copy

1 Provincial tree of B.C., or a busy street running through Mission

3 To leer or stare inappropriately 5 A close friend, or fish bait 8 Spoken words overlaying images 9 Largest Spanish-speaking country in the world 12 Bird or reptile baby-holders

2 Food poisoning-causing bacteria 4 Popular pet rodent (two words) 6 Capital of Mongolia (two words) 7 Electronic device used to copy pages onto a computer

13 Incredibly uncommon 14 Slang for stomach

10 Spooky spirit 11 Elephant tusks or soap brand

LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS: ACROSS 1. Perdon 3. Navidad 6. Conducir 9. Cordoba 10. Taza 12. Madrid 15. Bienvenido 17. Usted 18. Bogota

DOWN 1. Panama 2. Gazpacho 4. Nunca 5. Idioma 7. Canadiense 8. Gracias 11. Cuesta 13. Rojo 14. Mochila 16. Peso

Correction In the March 29, 2017 issue of The Cascade, the crossword was erroneously credited to Jeff Mijo. However, that crossword was a guest contribution by Francisco Armengual, a Spanish Lab Assistant for UFV’s Modern Languages Institute.

Made by Jeff Mijo

v HOROSCOPES

Astrological mysteries interpreted by Master Moji

Aries — Mar 21 to Apr 19 If UFV tried to be a bit more Hogwarts and sorted the students into houses based on arbitrary personality traits, engagement on campus would increase substantially. But I feel like Slytherin would be the most at home, since the school colours are “green and slightly different green.”

Taurus — Apr 20 to May 20 It’s time to get around to updating that last clock for daylight savings time. Get it? It’s time to do it. Hey, nobody said you should come to the horoscopes for great comedy.

Gemini — May 21 to Jun 20 Take the time to appreciate your next meal.

It won’t be your last, but it’ll be the last time you eat that food for the next five years. (If you try to eat it again before then, you’re gonna have a bad time.)

Cancer —Jun 21 to Jul 22 Take a risk this week! But like, the “I bet I can make it one more day without filling up my gas” kind of risk, not skydiving or something crazy. I don’t want anyone getting mad at me if that goes badly.

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Leo — Jul 23 to Aug 22 If you find yourself transported through some foul sorcery to a magical fantasy world (ala the ‘80s Dungeons and Dragons cartoon), make sure your first priority is getting armour that’s actually practical and doesn’t just look cool. The real thing will be a lot more dangerous.

Virgo —Aug 23 to Sep 22 Watch out, there’s a skunk hiding near your home this week, feeling pretty agitated at the current state of politics and just waiting for any excuse to spray some stink on the first person to annoy it.

Libra — Sep 23 to Oct 22 Can you imagine having a pet hedgehog?

I couldn’t do it. I’d just stare at it and take pictures all day, every day. I’d never get anything done. You poor people would never know what your future holds, because I wouldn’t have time to interpret the star’s messages to me.

Scorpio — Oct 23 to Nov 21 It’ll be worth your time this week to Photoshop your face onto something that you feel represents your inner spirit, and then send that photo with no explanation to everyone you know. It’ll start the deepest conversations you’ve ever had, and open some doors to amazing opportunities.

Sagittarius — Nov 22 to Dec 21 Make the most of your summer semester by trying something you’ve never done before.

I’d recommend actually relaxing and getting enough sleep!

Capricorn — Dec 22 to Jan 19 I can’t tell you which, but one of the flags hanging in the SUB is for a country that doesn’t really exist. Do your research, you’ll see.

Pisces — Feb 19 to Mar 20 You’re not going to fail.

Aquarius — Jan 20 to Feb 18 Overcome your test anxiety by hiding under your covers, eating dry cereal, and turning up some music loud enough to drown out the voices in your head saying you’re going to fail.

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

CULTURE

Art of the Month:

March

The Wall Gavin Cox 8’ x 4’ — acrylics & latex on maple wood cut Artist Statement: We create personal bubbles for better or for worse and sometimes we need to look beyond our bubble and see the world and make a statement. This piece is both a personal commentary and a somewhat political one. I find myself in a world of fear and confusion and I wanted to finally look beyond the walls that have been created by others and myself and stare the world down.

Contemporary Reference Reece Spofford 18” x 24” — acrylic on canvas Artist Statement: A lot of the visual imagery that inspires my artwork comes from a collection of images I have sourced from social media, magazines, and my own photography. Portraiture and images of the body are a major trend throughout my practice.

My investigation with the body assembles from concepts of artificial beauty in contrast to natural forms; where I struggle to find a connection between the two in contemporary western culture. Through my visual process, I aim to bridge the two together, and create images that speak of a hybridity that allows artificial and natural beauty to connect on an instinctive level, and challenge social norms that reject the two from blending together.

Enigmatic Chantelle Fawcett 12” x 18” Photo Intaglio Artist Statement: Chantelle Fawcett is an emerging contemporary artist who lives and works in Langley, British Columbia. Her works explore Street Art as a public statement not confined by the issues culture, media and government create.

Fawcett’s use of Street Art stands as an art form almost entirely bound to an institutional visual regime.

When it’s Raining Jessica Peatman 8” x 10” — photo intaglio on Stonehenge paper Artist Statement: This photo etching consists of a graphite drawing and a gestural wash of acrylic paint.

The combination of these techniques creates a surreal, whimsical, and eerie mood that expresses loneliness and longing.

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www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

CULTURE

How citizens are creating change and fighting racial discrimination PANKU SHARMA OPINION EDITOR

On March 28, the Race and Antiracism Network, in partnership with UFV and Abbotsford Community Services, held a panel event discussing the steps committed citizens can take to change the world at a more local level. The speakers included activists and community organizers; among them was Sherry Edmunds-Flett, executive director of L.I.N.C. (Long-term Inmates Now in the Community), who spoke not only on the institutional failings of the criminal justice system but also on on reconciliation between victims and past offenders through shared projects, dialogue, and ownership of community, as well as the need to speak out when injustice is witnessed.

Another speaker, Nerlap Kaur Sidhu, who works as a teacher and student achievement department head with the Abbotsford School District, helped lead events and campaigns aimed at instilling confidence and a sense of character building in schools that were affected by the reputation of the Townline Hill conflict. Yet those campaigns, which included an event based around painting, also brought together refugee communities, firefighters, and police who shared in traumatic experiences and benefited from outlets that were constructive, and helped build a sense of trust between them.

The Spread the Word to End the Word Abbotsford !

This campaign asks people to pledge to stop saying the R-word

There were also stories and experiences from the audience; one Aboriginal woman emphasized the need of learning self defence and recounted the rage and violent impulse she felt when she was blocked and intimidated from accessing resources to save her home from a river flood because a man assumed she didn’t pay taxes. She spoke to the natural feeling many of us have, that when confronted with racism we might not see the solutions or dialogue in the moment, but rather want others to understand the pain we feel. Rajnish Dhawan, an English professor at UFV, also contributed by noting the need to confront misconceptions (such as the man believing the woman did not pay taxes when in fact she did, regardless of why that should matter in the case of a flood) with facts and truth.

Racism and injustice of this sort are intertwined within the heart of our society, and sometimes trying to to rip out its roots can seem daunting or ineffective. Yet the speakers provided a sense of community, and promoted the need for individuals to speak up and do what they can to change their world for the better. The general sentiment that I took away from it all was lead with your heart, we don’t have to be experts or professionals.

( Retard or Retarded ) as a starting point toward creating more accepting attitudes and communities for all people.

Photo: Louden Singletree

The R-word hurts because it is exclusive.

It’s offensive. It’s derogatory.

Language affects attitudes and attitudes affect actions.

It will be hosted at all 11 high schools in Abbotsford and also the University of the Fraser Valley.

The campaign has the support of Mayor Henry Braun and President Evered of UFV.

A pledge stand will be up in the SUS Building of UFV on April 6th 11:30 to 3:30.

Come out to make the pledge and help create a more inclusive society.

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Celebrate UFV’s artists at the Louden Singletree launch party

JEFF MIJO CULTURE & EVENTS EDITOR

As classes wind down and students prepare for exams, a team of UFV students is preparing something of their own. On April 6, they’ll be hosting a party to celebrate the release of this year’s edition of Louden Singletree, UFV’s free literature and arts magazine.

“It’s a completely student-run, student-created magazine, with submissions from all over campus,” explained copy editor Julia Dovey. “You don’t have to be an English or art student to submit or be a board member — this is a UFV magazine, and we encourage involvement from all disciplines.” This year’s issue will include 19 pieces from 13 different contributors.

The Louden Singletree launch party, which will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies, will be a chance to mingle with the team and contributors and hear readings from the newly-published magazine.

“Our goals are to give these artists the spotlight they deserve, and basically to introduce the newest edition to UFV in the best possible fashion — a party!” explains Dovey. The party will also include a raffle, entertainment, refreshments, and the official reveal of this year’s Louden Singletree.

“This year has been a valuable learning experience for all of us,” said Dovey, speaking on the creation of the magazine. “It was a challenging year, but it will be incredibly rewarding seeing the final product, and knowing it was worth it. The sheer amount of talent UFV contains is amazing, and we’re grateful that we can shed some light on even a small portion of it.”

The free Louden Singletree launch party will be run from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on April 6 in the UFV Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies in U-House.

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

CULTURE

UFV Theatre makes the move to Abbotsford with Grand Theft Terra Firma LAURA ANDRES TALLARDA CONTRIBUTOR

With the end of the semester just around the corner, the UFV theatre department is preparing for their last production of the year.

The premiere of UFV Theatre’s final production for the year, Grand Theft Terra Firma: Stories of (Re)Conciliation, will take place on April 6 at The Reach Gallery — the first time a UFV production has been shown in Abbotsford.

As a result of the recent sale of UFV’s former Chilliwack North campus, the theatre department is moving to Abbotsford, and this is their first production that will having showings in both cities.

The play explores how the territories of the Stó:lō people were colonized in the 1850s and

1860s, and asks what is the fingerprint of that history nowadays, in people of both Indigenous and settler ancestry.

The production is a recollection of fragments of memory addressing difficult topics. “We wanted to tell real stories. I became interested in the word reconciliation. A lot of people have problems with it because it’s a Western word with Christian connotations,” explained Phay Gagnon, director of the play and theatre student at UFV. “There are a couple of stories about intergenerational trauma, about how their grandparents and parents were in residential schools.”

Gagnon explained that the play is a way to combat ignorance surrounding reconciliation, and spark discussion surrounding it. “It is just having a conversation and hoping that the community will be a part of it. This show is just

a small part of this ocean, of this conversation,” she said.

There have been several meetings to craft the different parts of the story and the different perspectives. Gagnon worked with the support of her mentor, actress and teacher in the theatre department Raïna von Waldenburg, in addition to two fellow UFV students who helped with the research and artistic creation through dramaturgy.

For the first time, a production from the department is taking place in both Chilliwack and Abbotsford, and switching between the two locations has proved to be difficult. “The main challenge was figuring out the logistics,” Gagnon said. “We don’t have the same resources here, the lights and even the seats are not the same. We are going to be performing in a very different way in a very small part of The Reach

Gallery that is very beautiful and that we didn’t want to alter.”

Not only does the space provide challenges, but the human factor is also a fundamental key.

“It has been a very tricky process, for not being in the same building with faculty members that make sure that everything is good to go like we’re used to,” said Gagnon.

There are only around 20 seats at The Reach, so it is necessary to reserve tickets before the shows, but admission will be by donation at the door. Showings will be at The Reach Gallery (Abbotsford) on April 6, 7, and 8 at 7:30 p.m., on April 9 at 2 p.m., or at the Stó:lō Resource Centre (Chilliwack) on April 20, 21, and 22 at 7.30 p.m. and on April 23 at 2 p.m.

Life is a Box of Swiss Chocolates:

April fools from far-off schools JENNIFER TRITHARDT-TUFTS CONTRIBUTOR/PHOTOS

Life is a Box of Swiss Chocolates is a weekly column showcasing the life of a UFV student studying abroad. Jennifer is in Lucerne, Switzerland at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts this semester, and documenting the process as she goes.

For the record, I am not engaged to a large, friendly, bearded Swiss man, and I have no intentions of staying in Switzerland after my exams in July.

Now that this is out of the way, this year’s April Fools Day was a major success. On my third date with a very nice Swiss man named Sam, I asked if we could pretend to be engaged and take a photo to prank my friends and family back home. He surprisingly did not run away from me screaming, but laughed and said “Yes of course.”

So I pulled out the five franc ring I had purchased the day before and we snapped the pic.

I first tested the photo out on my parents before posting it to Facebook.

My mom said she was fooled for about a second and my poor father almost had a heart attack. It’s funny to get a text saying “OMG!” from a middleaged man. I made sure I mentioned Sam to my mom and some of my close friends so it seemed a little bit more believable. Both my parents received emails and calls from friends and

family members. I’m not really sure how I feel about my friends and family believing I would do something that impulsively, considering I have only been here for two months. I guess they think I’m fun and spontaneous or naïve and dumb… I’ll go with the first one! April Fools 2017 will be the one to beat.

This weekend I went to a Swiss chocolate factory and we learned how their cocoa is sourced and what production of chocolate is like. We got to taste a lot of different types of chocolate, and definitely got chocolate wasted. At the end of the tour we had an opportunity to make our own bar.

They poured the chocolate in a mould shaped like Chapel Bridge, and then we got to add whatever flavouring we wanted. Afterwards, we had coffees and chocolate on the patio before heading into town to have a beer by the lake. Have I mentioned you can drink everywhere here? It is so nice to just get a drink at the grocery store and dangle your feet over the edge of the boardwalk. We just had to make sure we created enough shade so that our chocolate didn’t melt. The weather has been so nice here the last couple weeks that I broke out my spring clothes.

This week coming up is going to be an exciting week! Thursday we have five franc unlimited bowling and then a beer pong tournament, Friday we have a student volleyball tournament, Saturday we are celebrating three

birthdays by having a party at our apartment starting at 2 p.m., then an Italian aperitivo (Italian appetizer party) followed by an evening of dancing at the salsa club, and maybe a hike on Sunday. I have stayed home the last couple weeks to get caught up on some readings because the weekends are getting busier and the travel plans are starting to get real. I want to make sure I am not succumbing to the lazy international student stereotype in my group projects.

You might be thinking, how lucky!

While we’re studying for exams,

Jennifer gets to do all these fun things.

Don’t! The university in Lucerne doesn’t have air conditioning, so while you’re out enjoying the sun and refreshing air conditioning at UFV, I will be sweating in a small room with 30 other people with all the windows closed because the trains going by are too loud.

So far I have a day at the Matterhorn (the mountain on the Toblerone bar) booked with my Swiss buddy for my birthday weekend, a weekend in Barcelona, and a few days in Italy during my exam break. For Easter I

think I may go shopping in Germany or France for a couple of days but I will mostly stay in Switzerland and do some day trips here. It is such an incredibly beautiful country; you can travel 20 minutes and experience an amazing view. Plus, it is so easy to do day trips because you can travel across the country in about three hours.

To everyone at UFV, congratulations on another semester completed! I’ll be thinking of you as I lay on the Barcelona beaches. Or maybe I won’t be.

Ciao!

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www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

CULTURE

Awakening change CYC Sleepout raises money for youth homelessness JOEL ROBERTSON-TAYLOR MANAGING EDITOR

Without empathy, education only goes so far, and to gain a first-hand experience of the struggles the local homeless population faces, members of the UFV community spent the night outdoors at UFV’s Abbotsford campus.

Hosted by UFV alumni Sue Atkinson, the third annual child and youth care sleepout aimed to raise money for youth homelessness.

Although the money hasn’t been totalled yet, with more donations still coming in, the first year the sleep out raised about $6,000, and $3,000 the second.

“There’s been tonnes of support from UFV and faculty. Security even donated $100 to our cause this year,” Atkinson said.

The raised money will be donated to Covenant House, one of the larger Vancouver area youth, short and long term residential care providers.

They also provide various services for youth between ages 13 and 24 who either don’t need shelter or aren’t ready for the residential program through our Community Service Centre.

Nationally, one in five unhoused persons is still a youth. Whether fleeing abuse,

exploitation, poverty, or rejection, their plight is far too commonplace. It is estimated that the death rate of unhoused youth is up to 40 times the rate of housed youth — the primary causes of death being suicide and drug overdose. And with 50 per cent of unhoused youth come from middle- and upper-income homes, according to Covenant House, it’s far from an isolated problem.

The sleep out group stays outside with minimal gear for the entire night. They sleep on cardboard and bundle up in sleepings bags — something that is actually a luxury for the average unhoused person.

“It’s at about that 2:00 a.m. / 3:00 a.m. time, when both sides are sore and bruised, that is probably the toughest. Or the 6:00 a.m. when you wake up and it’s the last hour,” Atkinson said. “That’s when the reality hits you, because we’re committed to 7:00 a.m., and it’s like ‘okay one more hour and I can have a bubble bath.’ But then you realize, if I was really homeless, the day would only just be starting.”

The first year of the sleep out, the group was rained on all night.

Living without a the conveniences of warmth, dry clothes, and shelter, it’s easy to see why self-

The Cascade is hiring a

Production Assistant

The Production Assistant is responsible for designing and laying out sections of The Cascade as directed by the Production Manager.

This includes but is not limited to: - managing photos - caption spaces - insertion of text in sections as assigned Email a resume, cover letter and portfolio to joel@ufvcascade.ca by April 21.

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medication is such a correlated problem with the unhoused. How else would you get through the day when you wake up cold, hungry, and sore?

UFV faculty also attended. Cindy Rammage, associate professor, Child, Youth, and Family Studies, joined to stay the night.

“This is just a really just small taste,” said Rammage. “For me, I wasn’t able to sleep at all in this environment, and I remember thinking how little sleep people get, and how much that reduces life expectancy.”

Every $200 can potentially keep a youth off the street and provide them with a bed, food, support, and counselling, as well as access to more services.

Funding for support services is never where it should be, and it’s often a funny thing, especially during an election year.

“With the election coming up, suddenly there's a surplus of funds, I’m riding that wave right now where I get to phone up a lot of families and say ‘oh guess what, you’re not eligible to receive this service’ but after the election then it’ll all die down again,” Atkinson said.

Right now, there’s a big gap in services that help unhoused persons get into rehab if they have mental illness, or treatment for mental illness if

they suffer from drug addiction. Atkinson said that if you’ve got a drug addiction and mental illness, you can’t get into rehab until you clean up, but you can’t get into rehab if you suffer from mental illness.

But it’s not limited to that, funding for housing is always lacking.

“I think not enough is spent on the fence that stops people from falling down the hill, and when they fall down the hill the most expensive part is the serves they need after,” said Collette Bohach, who also participated in the sleep out. “What if we put a fence up so people didn’t have to fall down that hill. There’s not enough emphasis on the things that might prevent people from ending up in that place.”

This year, the sleep out saw less support from students than in previous years, but Atkinson thinks it may have to do with there being no student championing the event’s promotion.

The first year, the sleepout saw 15 sleepers and last year there was 10. This year just five people showed up to participate, but fortunately a lot was given in donations.

Donations are still being accepted, and Atkinson hopes that more events like this will put on in the future.

The Cascade is hiring a

Production Manager

The Production Manager is responsible for the design, layout, and illustration of The Cascade. The Production Manager edits final proofs of The Cascade before sending them off to the printer.

Email a resume, cover letter and portfolio to joel@ufvcascade.ca by April 21.

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

CULTURE

Big Bang was a big bang

The sixth annual Big Bang was in full swing on Friday night. Hosted by the Physics Student Association, the Biology and Chemistry Student Association, and the Mental Health Awareness Club, the event featured live music, science trivia, and plenty of prizes.

Photos: Vanessa Broadbent

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www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

ARTS IN REVIEW

SOUNDBITES Mini album reviews

Peter Silberman

Pile

Impermanence

Peter Silberman’s solo debut Impermanence dropped in February of 2017, and gives us low-key relaxing vibes. The 30-year-old New Yorker’s album opens with “Karuna,” a lengthy song at almost nine minutes. The track is quite mellow with Silberman’s light vocals and patient murmur speaking to the listener. A feeling of thoughtfulness and calm presided over me as I listened, pondering the meaning of the lyrics and how they related to me. The album continues

A Hairshirt of Purpose

its zany theme with longer songs. “Gone Beyond” being a highlight on this album for me, shares the therapeutic vibe, and was soft and heartfelt. Overall, the album was definitely enjoyable, very soothing, and had a melody that was easy to ride along with.

Impermanence would fit well into a study night or a post-exam rest and relaxation period.

Quintin Stamler

Logic

Martin Castro

Automaton

known for. The instrumental is familiar to that of his previous studio albums, which is a good sign. The song was produced and written in a way that it is both a banger and a song with emotional depth, as it includes his personal struggles all throughout. The engrossing song is shorter than a usual Logic song but it was done intentionally to not give the fans too much at once to hook them in for the rest. With the album set to release in a month, Everybody should be another commercial success and a success in the eyes of his fan base.

Harvin Bhathal

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chuckling softly to himself at the end of “Rope’s Length.”

Bet ya thought I was gonna scream there, didn’t you?

“Texas,” one of the more conventional punk tracks on the record, epitomizes the band’s proficiency when it comes to the genre, particularly as they craft a hook out of dissonant guitar notes.

Although it suffers from being too long of a project and lags in the middle, A Hairshirt of Purpose ought to provide all you bald, red, androgynous humans a good, confrontational bathtub to soak your dogs in.

Jamiroquai

Everybody

Set to release on May 5, 2017, Logic is back with his third studio album, Everybody.

With this third album, he continues the message of his previous two albums, referencing his growth as a biracial person. Following the events from The Incredible True Story where Earth is no longer inhabitable, race is no longer an issue and because of this, the citizens of the planet Paradise live in harmony for centuries.

However, in his titular song “Everybody,” Logic avoids that feeling. As it was in The Incredible True Story, he continues the increased soulfulness in his music as well as the usual rapid flow that he has become

Pile’s A Hairshirt of Purpose is one of the most satisfying blends of the punk and post-punk aesthetics to come out of Boston in the past months.

The most satisfying thing about ***A Hairshirt of Purpose’s dissatisfied, lurching tracks is that, as they reach their climax, and we anticipate their dissolution into a glorious cacophony of yelps and distortion, they don’t. It’s vaguely frustrating, but by denying the listener (or themselves) any immediate resolution to the tension they build up throughout, the band manages to highlight just how well they crafted that tension in the first place.

I imagine frontman Rick Maguire

It is the year 2017. Mankind had fled planet Earth. U.S. president Donald Trump (yes, the business magnate) has deemed himself Supreme Emperor of Everything, after being left behind as the sole inhabitant of Earth.

As scouting ships head towards possible Planet Earth IIs, humanity celebrates their bright future. The soundtrack is Automaton, the eighth studio album from English funk, dance, acid jazz band Jamiroquai.

Frontman Jay Kay, upgrades the scene with a portal of funkadelic escapism. No one can touch you in the funky future: “Music still infecting me / Music still pro-

tecting me, yeah.”

This is tight and well-organized modern disco. It features vintage synths, a quick kick, and other assorted jingles that’ll make you say “What the funk!?” Among spacy dance thumps, on “Dr. Buzz,” Kay sings “Ooo, help me Dr. Buzz” — a loosely political lyric about the Wild West. “Man,” Kay sings, “The west is getting so wild.”

On the Tron-esque title track, Kay sings “I said goodbye to the world I knew / And took off into inner space” and he takes us with him, deep into outer space.

Also, Kay is still wearing funky hats.

Joel Robertson-Taylor

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

ARTS IN REVIEW v ALBUM REVIEW

Phil Elverum: A Crow Looked at Me CHARTS

SHUFFLE

1

B.A. Johnston Gremlins 3

AARON LEVY

2

The Courtneys II

3

Jenn Grant Paradise

4

Feist Pleasure

It’s impossible for a child of the ‘80s such as myself, who didn’t NOT watch TV at all during their childhood and adolescence, to forget some of these timeless songs, from the once pristine comic legacy of former Tracy Ullman Show segment The Simpsons.

5

Gregory Pepper And His Problems Black Metal Demo Tape

6

Obituary Obituary

7

Michael Snow Live @ The National Art Gallery

8

Perfume Genius No Shape

9 10 11 12 13

Kirk Van Houten Can I Borrow a Feeling?

I’ve always been unsure as to whether or not this was a “Matt Groening” (pronounced Grayning, not Grow-ning) original, or whether or not it was a send up or otherwise parody / spoof / cover of a notable ‘70s yacht rock song, but ultimately it’s clearly a Kirk Van Houten original recording.

Ensemble Cast Low Level / I Hate Sex We Put the Spring in Springfield Lost In The Trance I’ve been to Springfield, Mass, home of the harrowed National Basketball Association’s vaunted hall of fame, where former Toronto Raptor Tracy McGrady, Rob Montgomery And fifth leading scorer of the ‘00s, Friends will be enshrined this summer, Guitar Stories and it could definitely use a bit more “spring,” cause when I visited, Springfield didn’t have April Verch enough.

The April Verch Anthology Homer Simpson When I Was 17 Chastity Belt Cheap High Subterranean Suburbia

I Used To Spend So Much Time Alone

14

Spoon God Hate

15

Strange Things God Hate

16

Dumb Mustang Law

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STATION MANAGER

Evil Ebenezer Cultus

18

Lindi Ortega Til The Goin’ Gets Gone

19

Weed Born Wrong Love

20

Austra Future Politics

When he was 17 he had some very good beer. Some very good beer he purchased with a fake ID. His name was Brian McGee. He stayed up listening to Queen. When he was 17. A little different than the original, but still brief and catchy enough to stay relevant.

Troy Maclure Betty Ford Clinic / Dr. Zaius Likely the most effective series of songs in the Simpsons catalogue were presented through the experience of watching television’s Troy Maclure attempt to reboot his career as a stage performer, in such classic productions as “The Betty Ford Clinic Story,” and “Planet of the Apes.”

Both themes are absolutely brilliant.

MARTIN CASTRO ARTS EDITOR

A Crow Looked at Me is the eighth release by Mount Eerie, Washington songwriter Phil Elverum’s solo project.

It was written as a reaction to the death of Elverum’s wife, who passed away from pancreatic cancer. Understandably, the record reflects only grief.

As is the case, I imagine, with the loss of a loved one, A Crow Looked at Me doesn’t have much of a narrative.

The stories which Elverum does tell us (or himself ) in individual tracks are fragmented at best. Aside from the opening track, in which Elverum contextualizes the record by asserting that “death is real, someone’s there and then they’re not and it’s not for singing about. It’s not for making into art,” the content of the record mirrors the totality of Elverum’s grief. It’s kind of lost.

He opens the front door and is reminded of his wife; takes out the trash, brushes his teeth, goes grocery shopping, and is reminded of his wife.

There are no real narrative arcs to the songs in A Crow Looked at Me. All of this is highlighted by Elverum’s prac-

tice of addressing his wife while singing. In “Ravens,” Elverum drifts from one task to another, one memory to another (he briefly mentions having given his wife’s clothes away, “I’m sorry,” he sings, “I had to”), and finds no real answers in any of them. So he continues, letting grief wash over him.

In this, Elverum’s stoicism (or numbness) lends his writing a stark realism that constitutes an unparalleled blow to the listener.

“Forest Fire” places Elverum’s grief against the dual backdrops of having to go through the rote, custodial work of disposing of his wife’s belongings in the wake of her death, and the destruction brought about by a forest fire as it grows, unceasing and dumb. But what’s noteworthy is that Elverum either refuses or is unable to philosophize. His wife’s death is not some event that he needs to reconcile with himself. Elverum is unflinchingly candid: “When I’m kneeling in the heat throwing out your underwear the devastation is not natural or good.

You do belong here. I reject nature, I disagree.”

Throughout the record, Elverum’s delivery is such that every word has

more or less the same intonation.

Through minimalist but amorphous instrumentals (guitar, percussion sans snare, sparse piano), Elverum (perhaps unwittingly) forces the listener to consciously focus on his lyricism.

Understandably, none of the tracks on the record employ hooks. But for their lack of hooks or sometimes a chorus, each track remains distinct despite their shared thematic content.

It feels wrong to say that Elverum has captured his own grief with an enviable clarity given that it is undoubtedly a product of his submersion in it.

Grief must have appeared to Elverum as the only emotion within his reach tangible enough to knead and repurpose into a coherent body of work (and, in its reflection of grief ’s incoherence, it certainly is). And as wrong as it might feel to say so, the observation stands.

I would, however, amend it by adding that the precision to which Elverum has distilled his grief only speaks in support of the overwhelming abundance of love he has for his wife, distilled just as clearly in despair.

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APR

5

NURSING & DENTAL INFO SESSION

@ UFV Chilliwack Campus 6:00 – 8:00 PM

APR

9

BC GEM SHOW

@ Ag-Rec Building (Abbotsford) 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM REMEMBERING VIMY

@ UFV Abbotsford 1:00 – 5:00 PM

CAPTAIN FUTURE SAVES THE WORLD

APR

6

@ Chilliwack Cultural Centre 2:00 PM

MESA LATINA (SPANISH LANGUAGE GROUP)

@ A305 (UFV Abbotsford) 1:00 – 2:00 PM

GRAND THEFT TERRA FIRMER (UFV THEATRE)

@ The Reach (Abbotsford) 2:00 – 4:30 PM

GAMES NIGHT

@ Global Lounge — B223 (UFV Abbotsford) 4:30 – 6:30 PM

UPCOMING EVENTS APRIL APR

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FRASER VALLEY SYMPHONY

@ Matsqui Centennial Auditorium 3:00 – 5:00 PM

LOUDEN SINGLETREE LAUNCH PARTY

@ Abbotsford Arts Centre 7:00 – 11:00 PM GRAND THEFT TERRA FIRMER (UFV THEATRE)

7

LION KING

@ Abbotsford Arts Centre 7:00 – 11:00 PM CAMPGROUND: A MURDER MYSTERY IN THE WOODS

@ Chilliwack Cultural Centre 7:30 PM GRAND THEFT TERRA FIRMER (UFV THEATRE)

@ The Reach (Abbotsford) 7:30 – 10:00 PM

APR

8

LAST DAY OF CLASSES

FRASER VALLEY FOOD TRUCK FESTIVAL

@ Thunderbird Square (Abbotsford) 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM

APR

10 APR

11 APR

12 APR

13

FMX WORLD TOUR

@ Abbotsford Centre 6:30 PM – 12:00 AM

OPENING RECEPTION: THE “DIFFERENCES” AMONG US

OPEN MIC POETRY AND BLUE MOON READINGS

GRAND THEFT TERRA FIRMER (UFV THEATRE)

@ First Ave. Christian Assembly (Chilliwack) 7:30 PM CAMPGROUND: A MURDER MYSTERY IN THE WOODS

@ Chilliwack Cultural Centre 7:30 PM GRAND THEFT TERRA FIRMER (UFV THEATRE)

@ The Reach (Abbotsford) 7:30 – 10:00 PM

APR

19

@ Stó:lō Resource Centre (Chilliwack) 7:30 – 10:00 PM

@ Clearbrook Library 6:30 – 8:30 PM

EXAM PERIOD BEGINS

APR

21

GRAND THEFT TERRA FIRMER (UFV THEATRE)

@ Stó:lō Resource Centre (Chilliwack) 7:30 – 10:00 PM KIP MOORE

@ Abbotsford Events Centre 7:30 PM WE FOUGHT AT VIMY: A JOURNEY IN THEIR FOOTSTEPS

@ The Reach (Abbotsford) 10:30 AM

MESA LATINA (SPANISH LANGUAGE GROUP)

APR

22

AWAKENINGS EXHIBITION OPENING RECEPTION

@ Kariton Art Gallery (Abbotsford) 6:00 – 8:00 PM

HIGHSTREET’S 2017 FASHION SOCIAL

@ A305 (UFV Abbotsford) 1:00 – 2:00 PM

@ Highstreet Shopping Centre (Abbotsford) 7:00 – 11:00 PM

GAMES NIGHT

I LOVE THE ‘90S TOUR

@ Global Lounge — B223 (UFV Abbotsford) 4:30 – 6:30 PM

@ Mission Library 7:00 – 8:30 PM

@ Abbotsford Arts Centre 7:00 – 11:00 PM

@ C1401 (UFV Abbotsford) 7:00 – 9:00 PM

@ Ag-Rec Building (Abbotsford) 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

PYSANKY: UKRANIAN EASTER EGG MAKING

LION KING

MOZART’S REQUIEM

@ Global Lounge — B223 (UFV Abbotsford) 4:30 – 6:30 PM

BC GEM SHOW

BC GEM SHOW

@ Ag-Rec Building (Abbotsford) 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM

GAMES NIGHT

@ Trades and Technology Centre 6:00 – 8:00 PM

@ The Reach (Abbotsford) 7:30 – 10:00 PM

APR

@ A305 (UFV Abbotsford) 1:00 – 2:00 PM

LET YOUR TASTE BUDS BLOSSOM AT RIVERS DINING ROOM

@ Centre for Indo Canadian Studies (UFV Abbotsford) 7:00 – 9:00 PM LION KING

MESA LATINA (SPANISH LANGUAGE GROUP)

IT’S A LONG WAY TO TIPPERARY: CANADA’S GREAT WAR

@ The Reach (Abbotsford) 10:30 AM 10TH ANNUAL CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE BUSINESS SHOWCASE

@ Ramada Plaza and Conference Centre (Abbotsford) 3:00 – 7:00 PM LET YOUR TASTE BUDS BLOSSOM AT RIVERS DINING ROOM

@ Trades and Technology Centre 6:00 – 8:00 PM

@ Abbotsford Centre 7:30 – 11:00 PM

INCOGNITO WITH ROB MONTGOMERY LIVE

@ Eagles Hall (Abbotsford) 7:00 – 11:30 PM OPEN MIKE JAM

@ Historic Silverhill Hall (Mission) 7:00 PM – 12:00 AM GRAND THEFT TERRA FIRMER (UFV THEATRE)

@ Stó:lō Resource Centre (Chilliwack) 7:30 – 10:00 PM

HOSTING ANY EVENTS YOURSELF? WANT TO SEE THEM POSTED HERE? Send the date, time, location, and any relevant info for the event to: jeff@ufvcascade.ca