The Cascade Vol. 27 Iss. 21

OCTOBER 9 TO OCTOBER 15, 2019

VOLUME 27 ISSUE 21

Fasting since 1993

10

Your guide to the election

MLA candidates Q&A 4

woman defined 8 WWW.UFVCASCADE.CA

The reach fall/winter opening 12

VOL. 27 // ISSUE 21

Production Assistant Renée Campbell renee@ufvcascade.ca

Opinion Editor Carissa Wiens carissa@ufvcascade.ca

News Editor Jessica Barclay jessica@ufvcascade.ca

Arts in Review Editor Chandy Dancey chandy@ufvcascade.ca

Culture & Events Editor Andrea Sadowski andrea@ufvcascade.ca

Digital Media Manager Anoop Dhaliwal anoop@ufvcascade.ca

Feature Editor Darien Johnsen darien@ufvcascade.ca Illustrator Kayt Hine

Sports Editor Alex Jesus alex@ufvcascade.ca Illustrator Kelly Ning

Social Media Writer Katee Clements

Sports Writer Nic Jackson

Social Media Writer Krizzia Arcigal

Staff Writer Karen White

Photographer David Myles

Staff Writer Krystina Spracklin

The Shuffler Aaron Levy

CONTRIBUTORS Faith Collier Emma Dion Remington Fioraso

Aleister Gwynne Duncan Herd Malokai McGuire-Britz

Cover Design: Mikaela Collins Back Cover: Renée Campbell

WWW.UFVCASCADE.CA

OPINION

Copy Editor Kat Marusiak kat@ufvcascade.ca

4

10-11 12

18 20......Events Calendar

Snapshots.......9

@UFVCASCADE

8

ARTS

Production Manager Elyssa English elyssa@ufvcascade.ca

NEWS

Creative Director Mikaela Collins mikaela@ufvcascade.ca

CONTENTS

FEATURE

Business Manager Aneesha Narang aneesha@ufvcascade.ca

Managing Editor Nadia Tudhope nadia@ufvcascade.ca

CULTURE

Executive Editor Jessica Barclay jessica@ufvcascade.ca

Study Break.......16

18......CIVL Shuffle

FACEBOOK.COM/UFVCASCADE INSTAGRAM.COM/UFVCASCADE Volume 27 · Issue 21 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 1,000 and is distributed at Abbotsford, Chilliwack (CEP), Clearbrook, and Mission UFV campuses and throughout the surrounding communities.

The Cascade is open to written, photo, and design work from all students; these can come in the form of a pitch to an editor, or an assignment from an editor. Pitch meetings are held every Monday in The Cascade’s office on the Abbotsford campus at 2:00pm.

In order to be published in the newspaper, all work must first be approved

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

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

2

NEWS Student Support Centre.......3

4.....All-candiates Q&A at UFV

OPINION Climate depression.......6 Editorial.......7

7.......Dear Robin 8.......Redefining "woman"

CULTURE Art opening at the Reach Gallery......12 Art on Demand exhibition......14

13.......Glow yoga at UFV 14.......French club Q&A

SPORTS Nathan Bennet interview.......15

15......Women's soccer

ARTS The Institute.......17 Infant Annihilator album release.......18

17......Ad Astra 19......Retro rewind: Cronos

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019

news@ufvcascade.ca Jessica Barclay — News Editor

NEWS

UFV //

NEWS BRIEFS

Voting on campus

UFV hosts advance polling for federal election “If you’re on campus, then literally why not?” Gill said.

Canadians could vote at the camAdvance polling for the 2019 federal pus advance polls regardless of which election took place at UFV between riding they live in by presenting two Saturday, Oct. 5 and Wednesday, Oct. pieces of valid identification (or one 9 as part of a recent initiative by Elections Canada.

Similar advance voting took place during the previous 2015 federal election, but the program only covered 39 post-secondary institutions. This time, a total of 119 campuses across Canada held advance polling. Students, faculty, and local community members were all able to vote at campus polls.

Gurvir Gill, the Student Union Society’s (SUS) vice president external, is running the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations’ “Get Out the Vote” campaign here at UFV, which encour- if it is a driver’s licence or other govages students to pledge that they will ernment-issued card), at least one of vote. which should include the owner’s adGill said that on-campus polling dress. If such ID is unavailable, you would encourage students to vote by can be allowed to vote if you state your addressing potential students’ acces- identity and address in writing and sibility needs, especially considering have another person vouch for you.

UFV’s status as a commuter campus.

ALEISTER GWYNNE

Chilliwack parade distributes “abortion goodie bags” On Saturday, Oct. 5, the Chilliwack Pregnancy Care Centre parade float at the Chilliwack Rosedale Harvest Festival handed out candy bags containing plastic fetuses and pro life messages to children and families.

The event organizers did not apologize for the distribution of these “goodie bags,” but acknowledged that they had “caused unease,” stating that “We hope from here on out to limit the handing out exclusively to candy!”

“Regardless of your stance on that topic, that is not appropriate for a family event. No apologies. Hurtful and insensitive to those who have suffered losses. So disappointed,” one parade attendee said over social media.

- Abby News

“Politics may not be for everyone, but there’s no harm in educating yourself.”

UFV //

UFV’s Student Support Centre A brand new support resource for students to access CARISSA WIENS

Federal government opposes Canadian Human Rights Tribunal’s decision on compensating First Nations children The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal’s decision to compensate seized First Nations children who were taken from homes due to the on-reserve child welfare system is being challenged by the Liberal government.

The tribunal ordered the government to pay $40,000 to each child taken from their home from Jan. 1, 2006 to an undetermined date, and to compensate parents and grandparents of apprehended children — which could result in billions in compensation. The government’s application to rescind the tribunal’s decision states that it is not opposing compensating First Nations peoples affected by systematic discrimination but that the level of compensation was inconsistent with the complaint and evidence presented.

- CBC News

Voter registration was possible at the campus polls, but Gill recommends registering to vote online beforehand to avoid delays or complications.

“I think it was easy, very in and out,” Gill said about the online registration process.

Gill also encouraged voters to become informed about candidates and their platforms. For those unsure about their decision, Gill said political surveys can be taken online which evaluate a person’s political priorities, and in some cases match them to a party or candidate.

“Politics may not be for everyone, but there’s no harm in educating yourself,” Gill said.

Members of the UFV community who miss the advance polling can still register and vote at their riding’s normal polling station on election day, Oct. 21, at select advanced polling stations from Oct. 11-14, and at any Elections Canada office before Oct. 15. Further details can be found at the Elections Canada website.

The Student Support Centre (SSC) is a new department at UFV, located in room S3127 in the Student Union Building (SUB). The SSC was created to help students who are in need of extra assistance getting connected to the various on-campus resources that are available for them.

With plenty of resources available to assist students, like the Academic Success Centre, Counselling Centre, Advising Centre, student food bank, and plenty more, students who are struggling with academics and/or personal issues may not know that there are all of these resources available or how to access them.

Before the Fall 2019 semester began, UFV alumni, Amara Gelaude and Bryanna Anderson, got hired on as the university’s new student support coordinators.

“The Student Support Centre exists to serve all UFV students who are looking for any type of assistance. We serve as the connective tissue between the resources on campus and the students,” Gelaude said.

Before the creation of the SSC, the Priority Access to Student Supports (PASS) program was in charge of connecting students to resources, similarly to the SSC. UFV faculty are able to refer students who example concerning behaviour (like appearing to be distressed, not showing up for more than three consecutive classes, and/or disruptive behaviour in class) through the PASS program page on UFV’s web-

site. From that referral an email would be sent to Student Services to reach out to the student. There were no specific staff wholly devoted to running the program. Now with the creation of SSC there are two staff dedicated to connecting students to resources.

The SSC is different than the PASS

“We serve as the connective tissue between the resources on campus and the students.” program because, alongside helping students get connected with resources on campus, they provide one-on-one support.

“I think the one-on-one connections that we help build with these students to then facilitate all of the other services is perhaps a gap that was in the system before,” Anderson said.

Students can be referred to the SSC through the PASS program website.

Referrals are done by the university’s faculty if they see a student in need of extra assistance. Students are also able to refer themselves to SSC or even a friend who’s in need of extra help by emailing studentsupport@ufv.ca.

Anderson and Gelaude meet with students to build individualized plans and goals for success with those who are interested.

“We’re here to meet with students, figure out what they need, help them get whatever they’re looking for, and help them get to where they want to go,” Gelaude said.

Anderson and Gelaude find that often, students in need of help are rarely there for solely academic assistance, but also to get to the bottom of why their academics may be suffering.

They ask about what’s going on in the student’s life that contributed to their current academic results.

The SSC boasts not a specific service, but a holistic approach for students in need of accessing additional on-campus resources. The duties they perform cover a wide range and every student's needs are different.

Anderson described a student suffering from anxiety, who had made several appointments with Academic Advising but never went. That’s where the SSC steps in.

“Sometimes it’s getting through the door that’s the most difficult part,” Anderson said.

The student coordinators were able to walk with the student to Academic Advising and wait with them until their appointment began.

Since it’s a new department, the university does not have any information about the SSC online, but more information will be available soon. If you know of someone in need of assistance please email the department at studentsupport@ufv.ca.

3

NEWS

VOL. 27 // ISSUE 21

Community //

All-candidates Q&A held at UFV MP candidates answer questions on climate change, poverty, and International students.

ANDREA SADOWSKI The evening of Wednesday, Sept. 25, declared candidates in both the Abbotsford and Mission-Matsqui-Fraser Canyon riding were invited to attend a Q&A session in Evered Hall. The event was put on by the Student Union Society (SUS) and the Abbotsford University Women’s Club, and was open to the general public.

The event started with a greeting from President Joanne MacLean, commending the community’s involvement in local politics. The Q&A was moderated by Kimberley Hunter, SUS vice president students; Gurvir Gill, SUS vice president external; and Kate Jordan of the Canadian Federation of University of Women.

The event had a question-and-answer format with six questions where the parties each had two minutes to answer questions predetermined by the organizers. If there were two representatives for a party, they decided among themselves which representative would answer each question.

Parties

Conservative Party: Ed Fast (Abbotsford) and Brad Vis (Mission-MatsquiFraser Canyon) Christian Heritage Party: Aeriol Alderking (Abbotsford) Green Party: Stephen Fowler (Abbotsford) and John Kidder (Mission-MatsquiFraser Canyon) Liberal Party: Seamus Heffernan (Abbotsford) and Jati Sidhu (Mission-Matsqui-Fraser Canyon) New Democratic Party: Madeleine Sauve (Abbotsford) and Michael Nenn (Mission-Matsqui-Fraser Canyon) The People’s Party of Canada: Locke Duncan (Abbotsford) and Julius Cszar (Mission-Matsqui-Fraser Canyon) During the closing statements the candidates urged people to research their platforms more, and to contact their offices about any questions, comments, or concerns they may have about their platform. Voting takes place Oct. 21 and registration can be done online, in person at any Elections Canada office, or at the polls.

Question 1: (Addressing the Environment and Climate Change) How would you use government regulations and enforcement to reduce emissions?

Conservative Party: Fast spoke of the party’s plan to move from taxes to technology. Fast said the Conservative party would require major emitters producing more than 40 kilotons of emissions per year, to invest in technology to help them to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The intent would be for those

4

emitters to reduce their emissions to unspecified standards to be set by the government. Fast also spoke on the Conservative party’s green patent tax credit, which would allow green technology commercialized and patented in Canada to be taxed at five per cent. Fast also mentioned the Green Homes retrofit plan, which supports green, sustainable updates to Canadain homes.

Christian Heritage Party: Alderking spoke on capturing carbon dioxide and using those gases for activities such as improving agriculture. She also planned to look into emissions caused by geoengineering, giving the example of metal sprayed into the air as a potential cause of global warming. The party will go after high polluters, such as businesses, to encourage them to capture emissions. They plan to reduce carbon taxes, which Alderking said are taking money out of “ordinary” Canadians’ pockets, and instead invest in technology that will improve the country.

Green Party: Kidder said Canada needs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Canada by 60 per cent by 2030 in order to keep global warming below 1.5 C. The Green party’s plan on achieving this goal is to shut down the tar sands and stop the fracking of natural gas, and invest in renewable energy that would create enough jobs in the renewable energy sector to replace jobs lost in the oil sector.

Kidder urged that green energy must be embraced, not feared, and it is the future of Canada.

Liberal Party: Singh talked about the Liberal party’s $1.5 billion Ocean Protection Plan, as well as banning single-use plastic by 2021. The Liberal party would also invest in public transit projects in Canadian communities, giving examples of the recent investment in 10 natural gas buses in Abbotsford, and in energy-efficient buildings. Their goal was to have net -zero emissions by 2050.

New Democratic Party: Nenn said NDP’s strategy would be to to take action “not with words or cuts to services” but by investing in Canadians. Their plan was to continue with Jagmeet Singh’s plan to invest $15 billion to create an east-west corridor for clean energy, to “invest in 300,000 new jobs to transition Canada from a fossil fuel economy to a clean economy,” to cancel subsidies to fossil fuel companies, to invest in transportation and in retrofitting houses, and by banning single-use plastics.

People’s Party: Cszar talked on the party’s platform of a free-market-based approach. Cszar said that renewables can only supply 15 per cent of Canada's energy needs. The party plans on encouraging free-market-based solutions that will transition into green energy, such as a carbon capture technology, and to give that power to private investors who Cszar said would be better than the government at choosing where investments should go.

“Try as we might through regulation and government incentives, the government cannot conjure up the technology

we need to transition ourselves to solely renewable energy,“ Cszar said.

Question 2: (Addressing Poverty and Homelessness) Do you support a basic income program.

Why or why not?

Christian Heritage Party: Alderking said that she does not support a basic income program due to it being costly to Canadians, and that the current safety net should be looked at to adjust the numbers to match with inflation. Alderking said many people in low-income housing spend money on non-necessities, like technology. Alderking said she raised two children as a single parent for 25 years and her children benefited from poverty, by developing critical thinking and using their imaginations, adding that poverty is not a problem.

Conservative Party: Fast said that the Conservative party does not support a basic income program as it is “prohibitively expensive” for Canada, although issues of poverty need to be addressed. Fast said that the fiscal sustainability of proposed social programs need to be considered and that local, provincial, and federal supports already exist. The party plans to get rid of the carbon tax which “affects the poorest in Canada the most” and to support businesses and investments that create jobs.

Green Party: The Green party supported universal basic income through the party’s universal Guaranteed Livable Income.

This income would replace the current income supports such as disability payments, social assistance, and supplements for seniors. The party would also strive for guaranteed secure housing, which they claimed was a fundamental human right at the core of defeating poverty.

“To defeat poverty, we have to undertake structural change to tackle the root causes of poverty. Those are low wages, insufficient income assistance, a precarious job market, a shortage of affordable housing, quality child care, and cuts in social programs,” Fowler said.

Liberal Party: The Liberal party currently does not support a basic income program. Nenn said the Liberal party planned to reduce poverty by strengthening the middle class through increasing taxes on the wealthiest and giving a tax cut to the middle class, increasing child care benefits, and reducing cell phone bills. Canada’s unemployment rate is at a 40-year low, and Nenn said that the Liberal party’s current economic plan is working.

New Democratic Party: The NDP plans on reestablishing the universal basic income (UBI) program removed in Ontario.

The party calls this plan the "citizen's dividend," “that allows Canadians to be equal and start from a place of security and stability.”

“The NDP would also support the UBI to end the stigma of being poor. People should have basic dignities covered in or-

der to prosper and participate in society,” Sauve said.

People’s Party: Cszar said that the People’s Party does not support a basic income program and that a free market with minimal government regulation was a solution.

“Poverty is more than a lack of money: poverty is a lack of access, a lack of political and community involvement and engagement on many levels. A lack of money is a symptom of poverty,” Cszar said.

Question 3: (Addressing International Students) How are you and your party going to support those who cannot vote but are impacted by your leadership?

Christian Heritage Party: Alderking said international education is generally a provincial issue, but that there are a number of Canadian students who are unable to get paid internships or jobs in their area of study. The party would like families coming to Canada to have “the best opportunities possible” but needs to look after Canadian citizens and students first.

Conservative Party: Vis said that the federal government has a role in ensuring a pathway to citizenship for international students, and in approving visa applications. The Conservate party would make sure that Canadian students would have access to the educational requirements they need, along with co-op placements and new jobs, and would provide a pathway to citizenship for international students.

Green Party: Fowler said that the greatest job of leadership was to “convince the international students that the place they’re going to school would be the place they want to call home.” The Green party would try to help international students gain employment in Canada, possible through their “Mission: Possible — The Green Climate Action Plan” that would create student jobs.

Liberal Party: Heffernan said that a “commitment to absolute public service and empathy” would be the priority. For international students seeking federal assistance, “every opportunity would be given to them,” including seeking translators to overcome language barriers. If elected, Heffernan said that a full-time, Punjabi-speaking staff member would be hired for the Liberal office.

New Democratic Party: Sauve said the growth of post-secondary schools has relied on international students’ income recently due to “rampant” cuts to education.

It should be a collaborative effort between the government, faculty, and the student body to create a positive and successful experience at university.

People’s Party: Duncan said that the party “advocates for fairness, freedom,

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019

personal responsibility, and respect,” and civil and labour laws that support all students, domestic and international.

The party recognizes post-secondary students struggle from lack of housing and infrastructure and urged post-secondary institutes to think on solutions for some of these issues.

Question 4: How is your party prepared to support provincial initiatives for universal childcare, and what kind of timeline do you envision for provincial support?

Christian Heritage Party: The Christian Heritage party supports lowering taxes and creating a “fair tax” for purchases so one parent can go to work, allowing the other to stay home and raise their children. They would also encourage employers to give some flexibility to parents to be able to do job-sharing or to work from home. Alderking said parents can save money by staying home and not working.

Conservative Party: The party supports the Universal Child Care Benefit, which could potentially cover families’ daycare costs, and the continuation of tax benefits already in place.

Liberal Party: Sidhu highlighted the Liberal party’s Canada Child Benefit, a tax-free payment introduced in 2016 that helps low- and middle-income families and helps pay for food, school supplies, and activities such as music lessons or sports. The program benefits six million children in Canada.

New Democratic Party: The NDP is committed to providing childcare for working or studying parents, Sauve said.

The party has taken on a role in making childcare spaces and giving women and families access to safe childcare.

“We should provide people [with] childcare so that they could choose the work that is meaningful and that is their choice in their community to contribute to a productive society,” Sauve said.

People’s Party: The People’s Party would redo the equalization system in Canada that distributes wealth among the provinces to allow provinces to keep more of their revenue. The party would also deregulate the childcare industry and allow the free market into this sector.

Green Party: The Green party supports universal child care, as well as free early childhood education and free university and trade school tuition. The party vows to pull their investment from areas such as tar sands and put it into education.

Question 5: What will your party do to address the current piecemeal approach to ending boil water advisories on First Nations reserves and what would your timeline be?

Christian Heritage Party: Alderking said the CHP has had a platform for 30 years to end the Indian Act, which would enable Indigenous communities to partner with businesses and the government.

“We need to free these people, we need to look after them, and we need to come into partnership with them,” Alderking said.

Conservative Party: The Conservative party will maintain the commitment of the Liberal government to end the boilwater advisories by March 2021, calling the lack of access to clean, safe water on reserves “shameful.”

“We need to stop measuring success on First Nations by the dollars leaving Ottawa, but by the outcomes and the objectives set by the projects originally,” Vis said.

Green Party: The Green party has committed to dissolving the Indian Act and to consulting with First Nations across Canada about what system of government they will replace it with. Kidder said the water crisis is rooted in the Indian Act, and removing it would enable First Nation groups to make their own decisions on resources and business.

“It’s not the settlers’ jobs to tell people who govern themselves for tens of thousands of years how to do the work they did before. It’s up to them to tell us how they want to do it,” Kidder said.

Liberal Party: The Liberal party is still on track to get rid of all boil-water advisories by March 2021 and has committed $739 billion over the next five years to eliminate and prevent long-term drinking water advisories. The party is also “providing sustainable investments to prevent short-term advisories, expand the existing delivery systems, build capacity, retain local water operators, and put in place systems for regular monitoring and testing.”

New Democratic Party: The NDP is committed to ending all boil-water advisories by 2021 by investing in infrastructure and in the First Nations-led water management programs and water system operations. The party will also implement Jordan’s Principle by working in provinces and territories to ensure access to healthcare services and educational supports for Indigenous children.

“It’s not about just building quality systems, but about providing the education and investing in the community to operate and maintain the infrastructure,” Nenn said.

People’s Party: The PPC claimed that the issue was not the lack of budget or technology, but of the “racist” and “ridiculous” Indian Act that the party has committed to rewrite in consultation with First Nations.

“The short-term solution is easy; we’ve got the technology — anybody with half a brain knows how we can get in there and solve these problems very quickly — the question is how do we make it sustainable,” Cszar said.

Question 6: How are you and your party going to support youth, post-secondary institutions and governments when tackling the sexualized violence problem in today’s society.

Christian Heritage Party: The CHP plans to catch sexual offenders before they commit this type of crime, and would do so by looking at “red flags” and taking smaller offences more seriously, such as bullying in the classroom, torturing animals, and mental health issues.

“What we have to do is avoid having victims,” Alderking said.

Conservative Party: The Conservative party is advocating for tougher sentences for violent and dangerous offenders, including sexual offenders, and creating a more welcoming and supportive court system for victims of sexual assault to come forward to with their complaints.

Fast said that protocols for universities to implement in the fight against sexual violence should be estabilished; however, universities are under primarily provincial jurisdiction.

Green Party: The Green party has allocated $25 million in their budget to sit

down with LGBTQ people, women, and student organizations to research how to best address the “root causes” of sexual assault. Kidder said the party will look at this from the perspective of building a society where these actions “are less prevalent” instead of giving perpetrators greater sentences.

Liberal Party: Heffernan highlighted the achievements of the Liberal party in this area. The party has passed pay equity legislation; created the first-ever federal strategy to prevent and address genderbased violence; created 7,000 shelter spaces for survivors of domestic violence; launched Canada’s first feminist international assitance policy; invested in access to family planning, contraception, comprehensive sexual education, and access to safe and legal abortions; and added gender identity and expression as a protected ground in the Canadian Human Rights Act. The government’s upcoming strategy is to create hundreds of thousands more before and after care spaces, doubling federal spending on child care, and moving forward to deliver guaranteed paid family leave.

New Democratic Party: Suave highlighted Melanie Mark’s — minister of advanced education, skills, and training, and B.C. NDP MLA — $760,000 sexual assault prevention program that will help create plain-language sexual violence and misconduct policies at every instiutuion in B.C. The Liberal government has also partnered with the B.C. NDP to provide $1.5 million to address sexual health equality and human rights on university campuses across the countries. The party is committed to building stronger policies and processes for vulnerable people.

“We must work together to dispel fear and to honour one another, working together to prevent harm,” Suave said.

People’s Party: The PPC would support the victims of sexual assault through strengthening laws, having tougher sentencing on crimes, and reaccessing the current legal and judicial system, specifically around lenient sentencing. The current system does not sufficiently support victims, according to Duncan.

Candidate Q&A. Evered Hall, UFV. Sept. 25, 2019. (Andrea Sadowski/The Cascade)

5

OPINION

VOL. 27 // ISSUE 21

opinion@ufvcascade.ca Carissa Wiens — Opinion Editor

Letter to the Editor //

World //

Re: Hot The world won’t always be there trash transit Eco-grief and its toll on the human psyche

In one of the last articles, I read a piece by Copy Editor Kat Marusiak and Features Editor Darien Johnson on transit and I have a response. While I agree with the assessment of the buses being too filled and stuffy “… absolute old trash melting on a sidewalk on a hot summer day”, I disagree with a few things, starting with her obviously hyperbolic statement that “I’m 100 per cent certain there’s going to be a death by suffocation on the 7:45 a.m. bus to UFV”. Yes, the bus is stuffy but it’s not unbearable. I’ve been on buses in Seattle, Vancouver, you know, the big cities, where the were literally to capacity, it’s like you can’t move- ok, you CAN’T move. I’ve been on skytrains in Vancouver that were at capacity, same deal, you can’t move! Abbotsford could reduce the amount of people on board if they followed Vancouver’s plan of running a bus every 10-15 minutes that goes to UFV (or UBC in Vancouver). I even had the idea of the #1 bus having a subroute, called the #1A which goes to UFV from Seven Oaks and back only. But as for it being overcrowded to the point of overheating, that’s a major exaggeration in my eyes. Secondly, as for buses not running on time, I wholeheartedly disagree. Since the routes changed, I have never seen one day where the #1 UFV bus is late, and I’m at school 3-5 days a week. In fact it’s consistently 10-15 mins early. That’s not an exaggeration. The #12 is usually on time, as per usual, nothing new.

It’s true that when the snowy flakes begin to dance on the ground and begin to harden to full-blown sheets of ice that the transit will most likely be later than usual, but I’ve found that schools and other public institutions understand that and don’t mind too much, if at all. We’re Canadians after all, we help and understand one another.

In my life, I try not to stress about anything. I’m basically a hippie except I don’t smoke pot. So even when the buses are late, it’s ok to ignore it and move on. If you’re late for a meeting or class or work, who cares, get a car or take a taxi. If there’s a situation in your life, no matter how big or small, and you have no control over it, just say “fuck it”. I take the bus and I accept the risk that it could be late or not even show up. It sucks. But that’s life. Nobody’s perfect.

Dylan Plantenga

6

ALEISTER GWYNNE

We live in a troubled and rapidly changing world, but we can take consolation that no matter how terrible things get, the birds and the trees will always be there, and will continue to be there long after we are gone. At least, that is how things used to be. Now, with the imminent threat of climate change and mass extinction hanging over us, even that timeless assurance is gone.

“Ecological grief,” a term recently coined by Ashlee Cunsolo, director of the Labrador Institute at Memorial University, is that feeling of fear or sorrow at the magnitude of the ecological disasters now facing us. It seems as if the very face of the Earth is shifting rapidly, unpredictably, and uncontrollably. This flux is robbing humanity of a fundamental certainty that it has enjoyed from our earliest days until very recently.

We depend on certain reliable constants in order to function. One cannot make plans or preparations if it is impossible to know what the world will look like a few years from now.

For some, it is paralyzing and may be an underlying cause of clinical depression or anxiety.

It is not hard to see why this is happening. Until recently, climate change was distant in both space and time, but now, large parts of the world have come faceto-face with the consequences in one way or another. Our own foretaste of the apocalypse here in B.C. has come in the form of increasingly frequent and destructive wildfires. Devastating forest fires are seemingly an annual occurrence now, and that is terrifying to think about. Even in years like this one when we are spared the worst, a tension still hangs in the air. We wonder how long it will be before our own home gets burned to the ground, and how much more our forests can take before our

home province is reduced to a barren wasteland. A pervasive sense of doom invades our environment, which has become a powder keg threatening to blow up at any minute and destroy everything within reach.

In addition to fear, there is sadness.

With each sudden and violent change, the realm of nature becomes a little more degraded.

We are

Illustration by Kayt Hine

haunted by the notion that the flora, fauna, and natural spaces will soon be gone.

Even the wonder and invigoration of experiencing wild places first-hand is now tainted because we are conscious of the possibility that we could be among the last to experience them.

Sufferers of eco-grief would do well to seek help in the form of therapy or medication if it results in or contributes to depression or anxiety. However, such measures would only treat the symptoms rather than the cause. To truly

overcome eco-grief, we must fight for our world.

I think the rhetoric of environmentalism has succumbed to eco-grief, and in doing so has become part of the problem. At first it was about stopping climate change before it happened. Later the objective became reducing and mitigating climate change. Now it seems like the best we can hope for is to delay the inevitable, and even that is asking a lot. This defeatist attitude does not help.

A more hopeful and positive message is necessary to find the strength to carry on.

Perhaps things are too far gone for meaningful change to be made at this point. What matters is taking a proactive role in shaping the world around us.

I say that we should fight for our world.

Winning is preferred, but not essential.

Stopping or reversing environmental degradation is best, but reducing or delaying the damage is worthwhile too.

Take pride and hope from our victories, however small. The act of working to preserve that which we know and love instead of passively allowing it to slide into ruin can give those who suffer from ecogrief the hope and motivation they need.

If you want good news, I have some for you. Climate protests that are erupting around the world are making it clear that people care deeply about these issues and will support leaders who offer meaningful solutions. If nothing else, the desire to gain and retain power will motivate our leaders to take serious action. With that in mind, instead of focusing on the enormity of the global ecological crisis, it would be best to get involved at the local, regional, and national levels. It is these institutions that have the power to influence the world, and can also be influenced by us. With enough action and expression of desire, individual people and individual nations can collectively turn the tide.

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019

Editorial //

Don’t look to debates for your political information JESSICA BARCLAY MIKAELA COLLINS The Monday evening federal election leaders’ squabbles featured talking points, elevator pitches, and little of actual substance regarding platforms and promises.

The debate was set up by the Leaders’ Debates Commission and is the only Englishlanguage debate where all six federal leaders will share the stage, and no clear winner — or even an unclear winner — emerged. The pace was fast; the questions were asked and the responses moderated by a rotation of five journalists, and the response time allowed for each candidate was typically between 40 seconds and a minute. Instead of being brief and to the point, however, the party leaders took every opportunity to jab at their opponents and make desperate grasps for voters with vague elevator pitches. The moderators attempted to force meaningful discourse a few times, but the leaders would, reliably and almost instantly, go back to talking over each other. When told that the audience couldn’t hear what they were saying, they didn’t seem concerned. As Macleans said: “Watching the 2019 leaders debate was like filling your plate at a buffet with too many different kinds of dishes on offer.” You’re left stuffed, mildly sickened, and slightly uncertain of what you have just consumed.

The leaders could barely stay on topic during the most structured parts of the debate, but during the open debates, which capped each topic section, things completely fell apart. During this time, candidates could ask their own questions of any other leader and the time allotted was for the exchange as a whole, not each particular candidate.

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer was allowed to begin the open debate on polarization, human rights, and immigration.

Instead of asking about policy, he chose to proceed with a personal attack on Justin Trudeau, and worse, a rhetorical question: “When did you decide that the rules don’t apply to you?” Things did not improve from there.

For those unclear on whom they will be voting for in the upcoming election, the debate did not successfully clarify any of the parties' platforms — unless the Conservative party’s platform is “Slander everyone else so you don’t have to talk about yourself” and the Liberal party’s platform is “Everything is fine, don’t worry about it, and pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.”

Was this entertaining? For about 20 minutes, sure. But was it valuable? Was it informative? Did it help even one Canadian who was legitimately on the fence decide whom to vote for? I sincerely doubt it. The truth is, this debate was not designed to provide information to Canadians, and it’s unclear if any of the candidates entered it in good faith.

A number of reliable journalistic sources have written summaries on the parties’ political platforms based on speeches, comments, and social media posts, and are considerably more informative than debates or the parties’ official website platforms.

Televised debates are an artifact of a time before recallable information and engagement with candidates were only as far away as your phone screen.

Your vote will impact the direction Canada takes over the next four years; seek to inform yourself from reputable third parties, especially those with firsthand access to politicians, and experts who can provide in-depth analyses on complex issues and explain what policies really mean. And, most importantly, get out and vote on October 21.

Advice //

Dear Robin

ROBIN HALPER Life is tough and confusing and weird.

We all need help sometimes, and when you need an expert opinion, you turn to an expert opinion-giver like Robin Halper. Whatever problem you’re facing in life, Robin will have a solution.

The Cascade cannot guarantee the effectiveness of Robin’s unique approach to life, but if you’re in a jam, get some advice by writing to halp@ufvcascade. ca Keep quiet, please Dear Robin, I have two extremely annoying classmates who sit directly behind me. They talk to each other through the entire class, making it extremely hard to concentrate. Is there a classy way to tell them to shut up?

Sincerely, About to lose my cool

Hey hey, Yes, I feel you. In my experience I just turned around and told them to be quiet, but I’m not the most liked person in the room, so I understand that you want to do this more tactfully. Hopefully you’ve got a buddy in the class who is just as annoyed with the people behind you as you are. Here’s the plan: get your buddy to sit in the row be-

hind the annoying ones and have your buddy talk and be obnoxious all throughout class, just like the original trouble makers. Then turn around and look at your buddy and tell them to can it, in a rude manner. By doing this you won’t be hurting your friend’s feelings because you’re both in on the plan, and the people behind you will get the memo because they’ll be able to see the anger in your eyes.

Robin Political science Dear Robin Whom are you voting for in the upcoming federal election?

Sincerely,

Curious on campus Hello, Well wouldn’t you like to know.

It’s tough being a celebrity like me because everyone wants to know what I think about this and what I think about that and what brand of shoes I’m wearing today and where I get my heirloom tomatoes from. Well guess what? You can’t know everything. I want to respect all parties and I feel that if I start talking about my voting choices here I’ll get too fired up to tame.

Shoot me an email at the address above and we can chat.

Robin

7

OPINION

VOL. 27 // ISSUE 21

Lifestyle //

Gender roles, femininity, and offensive synonyms In light of offensive synonyms for “woman” in the Oxford dictionary, what does femininity mean today?

CHANDY DANCEY When searching for synonyms for “woman,” the Oxford dictionary offers the endearing and regional options of dame, chick, or lass. Perusing further though reveals the less kind synonyms of bitch, frail, and wench. When the same thesaurus to search for the word “man,” there are no similar negative descriptors to be found.

While I don’t mean to accuse the Oxford dictionary of being derogatory towards women — it could very well be that they want to reflect historical accuracy — it’s undeniable that words and their connotations hold power. How do we define femininity in a modern age where gender roles are less restrictive, where females are politically influencing their countries and are often the breadwinners for their families? And what synonyms should be used instead to reflect that?

I’ve often asked myself whether gender roles are useful or regressive. Anyone toting that women are defined only by being dainty and submissive is a misogynist, but at the same time if we don’t have characteristics to define femininity wouldn’t the concept be an amorphous, genderless blob?

While that option sounds appealing when men feel entitled to catcall you out of car windows, I do agree that gender roles of

some sort are useful. I just think that attempt to define us, and our they need to be more vague and sexuality has long incited fear in more encompassing of wider the opposite sex. The archetype diversity of ladies, not a set of of the witch embodies this mysboxes a woman needs to be able terious quality of the female enerto check off. gy, one that is frightening but Something to be noted revered. There’s also a resilis that my experience as ient and hard-working naa cisgendered woman ture I’ve witnessed time will heavily influence and time again, espemy opinion, and I’d cially in entry-level jobs especially love to where I’ve seen womhear the thoughts en work themselves of a trans woman to the bone to proon what femininvide for their famiity means to them. lies. Then there’s Trans women can an accompanying be pressured to selflessness; too conform to a very many ladies I know rigid definition of give their time, enfemininity by the rest ergy, and emotional laof society. For them bour to others without there’s often a stanexpecting anything dard of “woman” in return. While I find to achieve to be gendered the stereotype demeaning that correctly in public spaces, females are sensitive or overly whereas cis women have the emotional, I do believe they’re privilege of defying gender more in touch with emotions roles without having their in general. Women have a womanhood questioned. killer intuition, for example, Women, to me, are wild in that often gets stomped out by nature. Historically, we have logic or outside opinion. always defied gender roles Illustration by Kayt Hine Truth be told though, I think

the task is too large to try and sum up “woman” in a list of synonyms. Gender is a spectrum of masculine and feminine energy (although even that depends on the culture in question), and not all people are going to find themselves at one end.

The media, for instance, loves to showcase — and sexualize — the “boss” archetype that’s a mix of both masculine and feminine ideals: a lady who’s confident, in charge, and isn’t afraid to get a little dirty.

She’s the one who’ll get the job done but has a nurturing, soft side for the lucky man who takes her home.

So, the question remains: what is “woman”? Men have been trying to make up their minds for millenia, but I think a key point is that you’ll never capture her essence with offensive synonyms like wench, frail, or bitch. Even words like resilient, intuitive, or wild only offer part of the picture.

I think you’ve found her when you look down at your dips, curves, and bulges and hug yourself close, accepting every inch.

I think you’ve found her when you surround yourself with loved ones that make the cold nights feel full and warm. I even think you’ve found her when she smacks the last Oreo out of your hand, claiming it for herself. Don’t trust the Oxford dictionary to tell you synonyms to describe her, go and experience her for yourself.

Do you think this ad is ugly?

Think you can do better?

We are hiring a graphic designer submissions open until midnight, October 31st

Send inquiries and applications to managing at managing@ufvcascade.ca

The Zine 8

Visual art Poetry Short Fiction Photography

Deadline October 31st Info: ufvcascade.ca/zine Submit: zine@ufvcascade.ca

BRIEF BITS OF BITE-SIZED BREVITY

SN S AP HO TS

CURTAILED COMMENTARY ON CURRENT CONDITIONS

Illustrations by Kelly Ning

When reckless spending is a sensible option I was browsing Tumblr a while back (there’s still some good stuff on there occasionally) when I came across a bit about a phenomenon in South Korea that roughly translates as “screw it expense.” (The actual name cannot be printed here.)

Much like in the West, young South Koreans feel discouraged about having financial security later in life.

Therefore, they decide it is best to splurge on comforts with the money they have now instead of trying to save up for a house or retirement that they will never be able to afford.

It sounds irresponsible, but in the

old days, people working in dangerous professions like miners or sailors would quickly blow their money on a bender, since they would likely get crippled or killed before they had a chance to retire. Young people today are less likely to succumb to an industrial accident, but their money will slip through their fingers anyway due to taxes, inflation, non-negotiable expenses, and chronic lack of earning power. Better to be happy now than save for an unlikely goal and be miserable.

Aleister Gwynne

A few of my favourite things I worked with the most brilliant woman during my summer job; she was able to see the positive in every crappy situation. The whole six weeks we worked together, I never once heard her complain or even saw her get angry. I vowed to be more like her at the beginning of September, as I embarked upon my most jam-packed semester to date.

I have been diligent in keeping a gratitude journal, to force myself to be thankful for even the most seemingly mundane day.

Here are some of my favourite things about this small university nestled in the mountains: free snacks from Student Life, free spin classes taught by a sassy Russian

instructor, the abundance of jobs available for students, the kitchen available to use in the SUB, The Cascade’s big boardroom table, third-year classes with professors who are excited to impart knowledge, Facebook groups filled with UFV students who want to help one another succeed, and the perfect view from the gravel parking lot of the most beautiful pink sunsets.

Don’t let the grind and hustle of a busy semester swallow you whole and zap all the positivity from your body. Keep a gratitude journal as well and discover just how magical your days really are.

Andrea Sadowski

Conservative platform after-school mystery special Is it just me, or does it seem odd that the Conservatives haven’t released their full party platform yet? Instead of anything tangible on their website, they feature Trudeau slander propaganda and broad statements about universal tax cuts, building up the energy sector, and nationalistic foreign policy plans where they promise to advocate for humans rights on the world stage, and cut foreign aid all in the same bullet-point list. Under the handful of platform items they do feature, not much is fleshed out, and

each section has a place for you to pledge your support for these broad statements: “Sign below if you support Andrew Scheer’s plan for such and such.” It’s almost like they’re feeling out the election climate before solidly deciding on what to officially support. If they collect enough data on what people want, they can more easily pander to voters. I don’t know about you guys, but it seems fishy to me.

Darien Johnsen

Physical vs. digital video games — which is better?

Although my media usage has gradually changed from physical discs to digital formatting and instantaneous streaming, as they usually make the media more accessible and cost-effective, the opposite seems to be true for video games for fourthgen video consoles like the Nintendo Switch.

The digital release for a video game often costs the same as a physical release, making it hard to justify purchasing the digital version.

While it is nice to be able to purchase and play a game in seconds, it is nicer to have a tangible object in hand. Furthermore, digital technology can become obsolete, leading to

games being unavailable for downloaded again from the cloud after estores stop supporting a console. In turn, there is the possibility of losing games thus losing money and the time invested into playing it. This is avoided through physical games.

There is no incentive to stick with digital-only releases for video games.

If the price is right or if the game is a digital release only, digital downloads would be a convincing option.

Until then, I will stick to spending extra time to find and buy the game in stores for the same price, and going home to play it.

Remington Fioraso

9

Guide to voting in the 2019 Canadian Federal Election Voting made easy in 4 simple steps!

Faith Collier Hello UFV! It is that time of the year again… and no, I don’t mean Christmas.

However, this event is just as exciting! Federal election day is coming up, and there is a lot on the line folks, so make sure you get your vote straight! Maybe you’re a first-time voter like myself, or just haven’t had the time to properly research your options. You might feel unsure of where to start, how to vote, or even whom to vote for. If you are dealing with any of these, then look no further! This article is meant for you. So sit back, relax, and educate yourself on the Canadian federal election.

Step 1: Make sure you are eligible to vote Before you start your research, make sure you check off these things to see if you are eligible to vote. In order to vote in a Canadian federal election you must be: •

A Canadian citizen (temporary and permanent residents cannot vote)

•

At least 18 years old on election day

•

Have proof of your identity and address

It also helps to be registered on the voters list (also called the list of electors). This can easily be done with a quick search online. You can also register when you go to vote. After these boxes are checked off, you are officially able to vote! However, there are a few more things to consider.

Step 2: Choose your fighter (or in this case, Party) Now, most inexperienced voters might think that when they participate in the federal election, their vote goes straight to the leader of their chosen party. However, this is not the case. In every district, there is a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) that represents each party running in the election. If the MLA gets enough votes from their district, they are then given a seat in the House of Commons. There, they represent their district and its people.Voting is a piece of cake once you’ve figured out whom to vote for, and here in Canada, we have four major parties running in the federal election: the Liberal party, the Green party, the New Democrat Party, and the Conservative party. There are also other minor parties running, such as the Bloc Québécois, the People's Party of Canada, the Libertarian party, and more. Each party has their own platform based on issues and morals that they find important. Sound overwhelming? Have no fear! Let’s break it down step by step by examining the history of the four major parties, as well as their policies, promises, political platforms, and their future plans for some hot topics.

The Liberal Party: Founded in the 19th century by the reformed French-Canadians and Catholics, this party had changed a lot over the years, holding traditional liberal values of personal responsibility, free markets, and strengthening the bonds between French and English Canadians. Two iconic figures for the Liberal party are Sir Wilfrid Laurier and Pierre Trudeau, both of whom served as prime ministers in Canada. Currently, the Liberals hold a majority government with Justin Trudeau, their leader, as our prime minister. Back in 2015, Justin Trudeau was a fresh face after years of a Conservative government. Now, the Liberal party is focusing on beneficial changes regarding Indigenous rights and livelihoods, boosting the economy, and helping the middle class.

Hot topics for 2019 Taxes: The Liberal party promises to cut the taxes of middle-class citizens. They say they will raise the Basic Personal Amount, a tax credit Canadians with an income of less than $147,000 per year can claim on their income tax return. Doing this, they claim, will allow them to let middle-class Canadians not pay federal taxes on the first $15,000 of income earned. The Liberal party is focused on a stable economy, which they say can be maintained by cracking down on tax evasion, asking the wealthiest Canadians to pay more, and making sure that the wealthy do not benefit from unfair tax breaks. They claim that a national tax on vacant properties owned by non-Canadians who don’t live in Canada will reduce the uncertainty that drives up the price of homes.

They also are planning on introducing a new 10 per cent tax on luxury cars, boats, and personal aircraft over $100,000 Deficits and debt: The Liberal party wants to reduce the debt-to-GDP ratio. They claim that Canada has a good credit rating, which they want to maintain. They say they will continue to invest in families, jobs, and livable communities. They want to have an in-

depth review of all government spending and tax expenditures and will also address the issues of tax evasion and ensure that the wealthiest of Canadians pay their share.

Health: The Liberal party has put forward a plan they say will improve the lives of all Canadians: it includes providing access to affordable medications, better mental health services, and at-home and palliative care. The party plans to spend $6 billion over the next four years to support a stronger medicare and public health system to help more Canadians receive the proper medical care that they need.

Climate change and environment: The current Liberal government adopted the Oceans Plastics Charter in 2018, a global initiative where governments work towards reducing plastic pollution, and promise to invest $100 million to address plastic waste in developing countries. Also, the party has banned products with plastic microbeads, which are harmful to Canadian freshwater and marine ecosystems. Trudeau has claimed that the Liberals will ban single-use plastics by 2021 and, with the current climate plan, claim they will reduce carbon emissions by 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2050.

Indigenous affairs: The Liberal party’s 2019 platform states they will make the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) Canadian law.

They say they will continue the progress that has been made towards eliminating all long-term drinking water advisories on reserves by 2021, and transition all Indigenous communities to clean and renewable energy sources.

The Conservative Party: As the founding political party of Canada, the Conservatives have had periods in both power and in opposition. The current iteration of the Conservative party was formed in 2003, caused by the merging of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party. Before the Liberals took power in the 2015 federal election, the Conservatives were in power with Stephen Harper as prime minister. Andrew Scheer is the current leader of the Conservative party, and has been the leader of the Official Opposition since 2017. The Official Opposition is typically the second largest party in the legislative house. The task of the Official Opposition is to act as balance of power for the winning party; their leader receives certain privileges in the House of Commons and must be consulted on certain decisions and appointments. The Conservative party’s values include national independence, military strength and spending, a national unity and identity that includes Quebec, free enterprise, and individualism.

They haven't released their full party platform yet, but plan to do so on Oct. 11.

Hot topics for 2019 Taxes: With Andrew Scheer’s “universal tax cut,” the Conservatives claim they will lower income taxes for every Canadian. The tax rate on an income under $47,630 will be reduced to 13.75 per cent (from 15 per cent) saving Canadians up to $440 on their taxes. The Conservative party says they value financial transparency. They say that by lowering taxes and leaving more money in the hands of individuals, they can establish a higher quality of life for all Canadians.

Deficits and debt: The Conservative goal is to reduce Canada’s deficit and balance the national budget over the next five years. According to their statement, they want to run a government that lives within their means so that they no longer have to borrow money. The party is focused on economic growth through job creation, which they say will help people get out of poverty.

Health: The Conservative party wants to invest $1.5 billion in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines and computed tomography (CT) machines for hospitals across Canada. They have promised to use federal funding for healthcare to increase funding for provincial health care services and funding for provincial social services by a minimum of three per cent per year.

Climate change and the environment: According to the Conservative party, their “A Real Plan to Protect Our Environment” is a way to reduce pollution in Canada without a carbon tax. They say they would require companies to reduce their emissions and would be required to invest a set amount for every tonne of greenhouse gas they emit above the limit in research, development, and adoption of emissions-reducing technology related to their industry. Currently, the Conservative party has not yet declared what this limit may be.

Indigenous affairs: Since there was nothing on the official Conservative campaign website detailing Indigneous affairs, Brad Vis, the Conservative party MLA candidate running for the Mission-Matsqui-Fraser Canyon district, was reached out to for comment. He said the Conservative party recognizes the special connection Indigneous people have with the environment. According to Vis, the party wishes to collaborate with Indigenous peoples and use their traditional knowledge to help combat climate change.

Climate change and the environment: One of the most important topics to the Green party is the environment (hence the name). Their plans include cutting the carbon emissions of Canada by 60 per cent by 2030 and stopping the development of the Trans Mountain pipeline for good. The Green party wants to significantly increase Canada’s use of renewable energy so that by 2030 all of our electricity comes from renewable sources. The party says they are willing to create regulations, use public spending, and enforce pollution pricing to combat climate change and make Canada a more ecofriendly place.

The New Democratic Party (NDP) : The New Democratic Party was founded in 1961 from the merger of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation and the Canadian Labour Congress. On the Canadian political stage, this party is considered very left-wing. Since 2017, the leader of the NDP has been Jagmeet Singh. This party has notoriously been the third- or fourth-largest party in Canada’s House of Commons and has never held office. Their platform is based on affordable costs of living, climate action, equitably better healthcare, and Indigenous reconciliation.

Indigenous affairs: The Green party says they will support all Indigenous cultural healing and that they will honour treaties and respect the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. To do this, they will make Indigenous nations equal partners in solving national policies and problems. As well, they will develop a national strategy for providing clean water, housing, healthcare, and food security to Indigenous peoples.

Hot topics for 2019 Taxes: The New Democratic Party wants to make the Canadian tax system more proportional. Their goal is to increase the marginal tax rate so that the richest individuals pay more; any Canadians making over $210,000 per year would have a top marginal tax rate of 35 per cent. Those with over $20 million in wealth will be asked to pay a one per cent wealth tax which they claim will generate several billion dollars annually. The New Democratic Party say they will reinvest this money into public services.

To combat tax evasion by the wealthy, they plan to address current loopholes in the law, which includes eliminating bearer shares (shares owned by whoever holds the physical certificate). They want all companies to have a valid reason for all their transactions, thus improving transparency on all taxes paid by larger corporations.

Deficits and debt: They plan to reduce the debt-to-GDP ratio over the course of 10 years. They claim that they will borrow only when it is absolutely necessary, and will only make investments where it’s needed most. In order to reduce the burden on citizens, they plan to invest provincially in basic services such as pharmacare and childcare.

Health: The NDP wants to establish a universal public pharmacare program in Canada. Their plan includes immediately stopping the practice of paying for plasma donations in Saskatchewan and making sure that everyone in Canada has access to safe abortions.

Climate change and the environment: The NDP wants to expand public transit systems in communities across Canada and create low-carbon transit projects, like zeroemission buses and electric trains. By 2030, they hope to have transitioned to a completely electric transit system. They also want to ban all single-use plastics in Canada by 2022. They want to strengthen the Canadian Environmental Protection Act to protect Canadians from toxic chemicals used in everyday products.

Indigenous affairs: The NDP say they will work with Indigenous peoples to develop a national action plan for reconciliation. They want to create a National Council for Reconciliation that will report to Parliament and Canadians, providing oversight and accountability. In addition to that, they promise to recognize the self-determination of Inuit and Metis peoples and help restore Indigenous languages in Canada with new laws and federal funding.

Step 3: Mark your calendars and prepare your Google maps — it’s time to go on an adventure!

In Canada, there are a couple of different ways you can vote. The classic way is in person via ballot. To find out where your polling place is and what time to go, a quick search on the Elections Canada website should do the trick. Voting by mail is possible, if a form is filled out and submitted no later than 6 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) on Oct. 15. This can also be done by visiting Elections Canada online at https://www.elections.ca.

•

There might also be a situation where you don’t want or feel the need to vote. Perhaps you believe your vote won’t make a difference in the grand scheme of things, or you don’t have a specific party you feel connected to. Maybe your entire family chooses not to vote. Either way, it is your choice and you can decide to opt out. In order to formally decline to vote in Alberta, Ontario, or Manitoba, the voter must publicly declare his or her refusal to vote at the polling station itself. British Columbia has no way to formally decline to vote.

•

But wait! Before you make the decision not to vote, take a second to consider a couple of factors:

•

As a democratic country, voting enables Canadians to have their voice heard. We have this amazing opportunity to bring change to our country, all by simply ticking off a name on a ballot.

•

One voice can make all the difference. You probably won’t be the only one thinking that your opinion and vote won’t change anything. Multiply your doubt by a couple hundred others and you have a ton of votes right there. Your voice and your choice matters!

•

The common notion that voting for a less popular party is a “waste of a vote” is wrong. Not voting at all is a waste of a vote. Your vote still counts, giving MPs and MLAs a seat in the House of Commons, which gives a voice to the lesser parties.

•

Many people have fought, died, and risked their lives so that we, as Canadians today, could have the opportunity to vote. Don’t let their sacrifice be for nothing.

•

There are other countries where their people aren’t allowed to vote. They have no say whatsoever in who runs their country. We are incredibly fortunate here in Canada to have this amazing opportunity.

The Green Party: The Green Party of Canada was founded in 1983. The party has always supported strengthening environmental protection. In 2006, Elizabeth May became the party's leader. She was elected as the parties first member of Parliament in the 2011 general election representing the riding of Saanich-Gulf Islands. The Green party has never held office in the Canadian government. The Green party platform focuses on plans for reconciliation for Indigenous peoples, addressing the climate emergency, and transitioning to a green economy. This party is optimistic in the face of the climate emergency and hopes to change the way we produce and consume resources.

Hot topics for 2019 Taxes: The Green Party plans to reduce taxes for Canadians by increasing corporate taxes and using that money to help reduce pollution and the use of non-sustainable products. In addition, they plan to crack down on tax dodging by Canadian companies that create offshore tax havens and eliminate tax loopholes which allow large corporations and wealthy individuals to pay less taxes.

Deficits and debt: The Green party will ensure that all financial resources are used properly and divided fairly to make sure that all provinces and Canadians have enough support. They want to forgive student debt at a federal level and eliminate tuition fees.

Health: The Green party wants to create universal pharmacare for all Canadians by 2020. In addition to that, they wish to improve health care for Indigenous peoples, create a stronger mental health care system in Canada, declare the opioid crisis as a national health emergency, and remove all discrimination on blood donations.

Step 4: The last step...besides voting, of course.

Now that you have learned how to vote and whom to vote for, you are officially ready to get your suffrage on on Oct. 21! However, there is one more thing you can do. Consider the fact that there might be others like you out there, unsure of whom to vote for, or even if they should! Now that you are a semi-expert on the Canadian federal election and are a dedicated voter, you should encourage everyone else to do the same. Voting is a crucial part of how our democratic country works, so let your voice be heard, UFV! This is your chance!

CULTURE

CULTURE

VOL. 27 // ISSUE 21

culture@ufvcascade.ca Andrea Sadowski — Culture Editor

Community Event //

The Reach Gallery Museum Fall/Winter launch

Fraser Valley Biennale. Oct. 3, 2019. (David Myles/The Cascade)

DARIEN JOHNSEN Last Thursday I spent a lovely evening at The Reach Gallery attending the official launch of their fall/winter installations.

The gallery is featuring four exhibits: Li iyá:qtset — We Transform It, 2019 Fraser Valley Biennale, Susan Point: Spindle Whorl, and Art on Demand 5.3. Each exhibit features a compilation of important and beautiful pieces reflecting a wide variety of voices from across the Lower Mainland.

Li iyá:qtset — We Transform It showcased over a dozen Indigenous artists, thinkers, writers, and scholars from Coast Salish territory. The contributors were inspired

by The Reach’s Reel Change film series presented between October 2018 and June 2019. The pieces were artistic reactions to different Indigenous films viewed during the series. The exhibition was curated by Adrienne Fast, The Reach’s curator of art and visual culture.

The 2019 Fraser Valley Biennale included works from a dynamic group of artists from the Fraser Valley produced over the past two years. Included in this exhibit

12

was Sidi Chen, a 2018 UFV visual arts (VA) graduate; Paula Funk, a college of arts advisor at UFV; and Chris Friesen, a UFV VA associate professor.

Art on Demand 5.3 was curated by UFV alumni, Cassie de Jong, and featured two emerging artists. Each year The Reach features four Art on Demand exhibitions, intended to be a mentoring program for young artists between the ages of 18-35.

This year, a UFV alumni and a current UFV student were featured: Lynden Chan and Isabella Dagnino. This particular exhibit focused on the artist’s responses to commuter culture, specifically the use of Highway One in the Lower Mainland and its relationship to the environment and community.

One of the largest exhibits was Susan Point: Spindle Whorl, showcasing a lifetime of creation from as early as 1981 up until today. Point’s work is internationally recognized and even featured in Vancouver International Airport. Her work is created with a traditional Coast Salish tool, the spindle whorl, used by women to prepare wool. Not only does she push boundaries in the tools she chooses to use, but also by

paving the way for other women as, traditionally, making art wasn’t practiced by Indigenous women. As well as using the spindle whorl, she carves some of her pieces; carving, also, being a practice traditionally dominated by Indigenous men.

The launch on Thursday, Oct. 3 was well attended. Entry was free and refreshments were provided. As a snack enthusiast, I was impressed with the generous spread of meats, cheeses, bread and dip, and the abundance and variety of smoked salmon.

To kick off the evening, a traditional welcoming ceremony was led by Chris Silver of Sumas First Nation, Rocky LaRock, and Carrielynn Victor. Silver spoke about the meaningfulness of featuring Indigenous artists in the exhibit.

“The one thing that lies inside all of us is some chance of immortality. That’s what the arts have done; when you go throughout our Coast Salish territory, you look at the totem poles they have in Haida Gwaii, and welcome figures that they have in museums. Those tell the stories of our people… That’s something that’s very deeply moving to us, that people come here from far and wide just to look at our artwork

and appreciate our culture. That’s very meaningful to us.”

Laura Schneider, executive director of The Reach, spoke about the work that went into bringing the exhibits to fruition. A few of the artists took the stage to speak about their work and process and purpose of creating. For many of the First Nations artists, their work came from a place of exploring, healing, and reclaiming culture.

Jay Havens from the Six Nations of the Grand River, Mohawk Bear Clan spoke about their installation: “My installation is really meant to stir some questions about what we’re doing in this post-residential school era. What we’re doing with the sites of the residential schools and how we’re starting to heal those spaces and heal from those spaces.”

The Li iyá:qtset, Spindle Whorl, and Biennale exhibits will be up until Jan. 5, 2020 and the Art on Demand 5.3 will remain until Nov. 17, 2019. Entrance to The Reach is free, family friendly, and well worth a visit. The gallery also hosts a number of events and programs that members of the community can register for through The Reach website: thereach.ca

CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019

UFV Event //

Glow yoga: get your glow on

Column //

Cascade Kitchen: Stewing in chickpeas

Work out your kinks in the dark KAREN WHITE

One of the most anticipated events is back again at UFV. On Thursday, Oct. 3, Glow Yoga was held for the third straight semester at UFV. Held in the North Gym at the Abbotsford campus, Glow Yoga had a great turn out. The event was free for students, but people were asked to bring a donation for UFV’s food bank.

The Peer Resource and Leadership Centre was the major sponsor for this event and they brought the door prizes.

The focus of the event was on health, wellness, and community. The Mental Health Awareness Club had a table set up at the event so that students and other community members could come and ask questions about the club. Another table was set up with information about UFV’s fitness classes and sports teams.

There were a few more tables set up with glow sticks and glow paint, and many people decked themselves out in the glow paint. Everyone seemed excited about the glow aspect of the event. Local artist, DJ Elixir, was playing music throughout the event. There were hula hoops and other props decked out with glow-in-the-dark stickers that people could use and take pictures with.

The first year Glow Yoga was held, UFV’s Yoga Club and Cheryl Van Nes, program manager at campus recreation and wellness, worked in partnership to get it going. After the first year there was trouble to get it started again.

“With people graduating, the yoga club had a hard time starting up again, but people really love yoga and I really love it,” said Van Nes. Van Nes wanted to keep Glow Yoga going so she became the event organizer for the next three times and plans to con-

tinue organizing it for now. Van Nes had anticipated a high turnout for this year’s Glow Yoga and an attendance of over 70 people set a new record for the event.

Lauren Kennedy, a first-year student in the Bachelor of Arts program, explained why she came to the event: “I like doing yoga outside of work and school. I thought this is a fun way to meet people and seems kinda fun and to decompress. I think it’s going to be highenergy [and] that will be good because I usually do slower steps. So, it will be a nice change,” said Kennedy.

Ryna El Saudi and Jaskirat Takkar are also UFV students who came out to the event. El Saudi is in her second-year and Takkar is in his first-year at UFV. When asked about what made them come out to Glow Yoga, “She did,” Takkar said, pointing to El Saudi, who laughed.

“I got this email and I thought, okay, well I want to be participating in school stuff,” El Saudi said.

Students and community members came out to Glow Yoga to have a fun night out and to meet new people. The event started with a lively dance warmup with Heidi Hill, UFV’s Dance Fit instructor. After the warm-up, Rebecca Marshall from Haven Yoga and Wellness lead us in a series of yoga poses.

If you like yoga, UFV provides three classes a week on both the Abbotsford and Chilliwack campuses, free to all students. The other fitness classes currently offered are Belly Dance Fit, Spin & Strength, Zumba, Dance Fit, ABS, and IHIIT. There is an Abbotsford and Chilliwack fitness schedule available online with more information at My Campus Life. Classes run from Sept. 16 - Dec. 5, 2019.

Chickpea stew. Oct. 5, 2019. (Carissa Wiens)

CARISSA WIENS The Cascade Kitchen is a student-run food column that brings you budget-friendly recipes and cooking tips. Check back bi-weekly for something new to try in the kitchen, or if you want to see your own recipe featured next, get started by reaching out to culture@ufvcascade.ca.

Turmeric is probably my favourite spice. It’s orangey and gingery with some bitterness and it goes great on almost anything. Do not attempt to make this stew if you don’t have turmeric in the house. It’s not a spice that can be substituted for in this recipe.

As the weather gets chillier, this soup will keep you warm and full. Feel free to be liberal with any of the ingredients, especially the red pepper flakes.

This turmeric chickpea stew is based off a recipe from the New York Times.

Ingredients: 60 ml (1/4 cup) olive oil, plus more for serving 4 garlic cloves, chopped 1 large yellow onion, chopped 1 (2-inch) piece ginger, finely chopped 7.5 ml (1½ tsps) ground turmeric, plus more for serving 5 ml (1 tsp) red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving 850 g (2 cans) chickpeas, drained and rinsed 800 ml (2 cans) full-fat coconut milk 500 ml (2 cups) vegetable stock 1 bunch spinach, stems removed, torn into bite-size pieces Kosher salt and black pepper 250 ml (1 cup) mint leaves, loosely packed, for serving Yogurt, for serving (optional) Toasted pita for serving (optional) 1.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, and ginger. Stir occasionally until onions are translucent and start to brown a little around the edges, about 3 to 5 minutes.

2. Add turmeric, red-pepper flakes, and chickpeas to the pot. Cook until chickpeas sizzle and they’ve started to break down and get a little browned and crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove about 250 ml (a cup) of chickpeas and set aside for garnish.

3. Using a wooden spoon, lightly crush the remaining chickpeas. Add coconut milk and stock to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until stew has thickened and flavours have started to come together, about 30 to 35 minutes.

4. Add greens and stir, making sure they’re submerged in the liquid. Cook for about 5 minutes so they wilt and soften. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Divide among bowls and top with mint, reserved chickpeas, a sprinkle of red-pepper flakes, and a good drizzle of olive oil. Serve alongside yogurt and toasted pita if using; dust the yogurt with turmeric if you’d like.

UFV Glow yoga. Abbotsford, BC. Oct. 3, 2019. (David Myles/The Cascade)

Additional note: If the soup is still very thin by the end of step 3, stir about 30 ml (2 tbsps) of cornstarch in 30 ml (2 tbsps) of water then add to the soup. It should thicken it up.

13

CULTURE

VOL. 27 // ISSUE 21

Q&A //

Art on Demand exhibition at The Reach Gallery

Q&A with exhibition curator and UFV alumnus, Cassie de Jong

Club Spotlight //

Club Q&A: French Club ANDREA SADOWSKI

Cassie de Jong; Art on Demand exhibit. The Reach Gallery. Oct. 3, 2019. (David Myles/The Cascade)

ANDREA SADOWSKI The Emerge program, presented by The Reach Gallery and sponsored in part by the RBC Foundation, is an opportunity for emerging artists and curators in the Fraser Valley and Lower Mainland between the ages of 18 and 35 to showcase their work.

Emerge artists and curators are featured in four Art on Demand exhibitions a year. Art on Demand 5.3 was launched on Oct. 3, featuring Isabella Dagnino, a current UFV student, and Lynden Chan, a UFV alumni. Art on Demand 5.4 will be released on Nov. 21 and features another UFV alumni, Madeline Hildebrandt. Both of these exhibitions are curated by Cassie de Jong, a recent UFV Bachelor of Fine Arts graduate.

The Emerge program is in its fifth year and has seen a variety of work ranging from photography to painting to drawing done by amazing artists and put together by dedicated curators.

De Jong noted that a lot of UFV students are drawn to the program because of its proximity.

However, it’s not only people from UFV: there have also been students from universities like UBC, Emily Carr, and Trinity Western. The program is not only for students, but for any and all community members who consider themselves an emerging artist.

De Jong described the program as being a massive learning experience for her. Her two mentors for the program are Adrienne Fast, curator of art and visual culture at The Reach, and Kate Bradford, assistant curator at The Reach.

They gave de Jong a framework of what needed to be done, but it was completely up to de Jong to complete the project; her mentors were there simply for questions and guidance. She described the curation project as being a “trial by fire, but in a good way.”

So, in what ways do artists develop from this experience?

“As an emerging artist, you don’t have very many lines on your CV yet, you don’t usually get to have a solo exhibition right off the bat, and with this program you do,” said de Jong.

“It’s really great for [the artists] to be able to have that experience, because that is always your main goal as a professional full-time artist: to get your work out there for people to see so you can start making those connections, and that is what this program allows them to do.”

Along with exposure in a gallery, the artists also get a professional, short video made about them done by another UFV alumni, Mitch Huttema.

De Jong’s involvement in the Emerge program was possible through Adrienne Fast’s previous knowledge of her work, as Fast was the guest

14

critique of her Bachelor of Fine Arts grad show.

De Jong had known of the program through other students in her grad class who had done the Emerge curator program themselves and thought de Jong would be a perfect candidate for the program as well. De Jong has been working on the exhibitions since early May. She described the process behind figuring out whose work would fit within the space and if there are one or two artists that could do a group show together.

Such collaboration was possible with Art on Demand 5.3, which focuses on the Trans Canada Highway.

“Chan is from the Vancouver area and his whole practice is about how much he commutes and uses the highway,” said De Jong. “Dagnino is from the other end of the Fraser Valley, all the way in Hope. [The exhibition] talks about how Hope is such a small community, yet is affected so much by the freeway and travellers and tourists heading through [Hope] affecting that landscape. So I connected the two via the TransCanada Highway, Highway 1, and spoke about it being the main artery that connects everyone in this region geographically and ecologically.”

Art on Demand 5.4 is a solo exhibition by Madeline Hildebrant, and features her acrylic wash on panel paintings that are meticulously created with anywhere from tens to thousands of pixels that she paints.

“It’s about anxiety and dedicating yourself to an artistic practice that will take up all of your concentration and all of your attention so that you can divert your energy away from negative feelings such as anxiety and depression and turn that into a creative mechanism,” said de Jong.

So, what was de Jong’s advice to emerging artists?

“Have good writing skills — that became pretty essential in this whole process,” said de Jong. “Good writing skills, good communication skills, and just getting yourself out there: attend communities, network, get to know people. If people know your face and know what you’re doing, it’s all about who you know in this industry. If you make connections, that’s how you’re going to succeed.”

De Jong also praised The Reach Gallery for their work in the community and urged anyone who wants to get more involved in their art to check out the multitude of opportunities they offer to students and community members.

“The Reach is a really amazing organization that is really dedicated to getting involved in the community and connecting people in the community, and it has been a valuable resource for anyone wanting to get into any facet of the arts.”

Have you ever wished you could have more practice speaking French outside the classroom? Do you want to bump up your grade in that modern language course that you just can’t seem to grasp? UFV’s French Club could be the solution to your problems. I was able to sit down with the French Club president, Emma Kent Dion, to discuss the purpose and heart behind the club. Dion, a native french speaker herself, strives to make the French culture come alive for French students here at UFV. UFV’s French Club had a very strong presence among French students on campus, and has just made a transition to a new team of executives after all of the previous ones

“We want to encourage all levels of French to join; if you speak ‘Frenglish,’ that’s okay, you’re trying. We’re here to help you find the right words and the right way to say something.” had graduated. Dion described the process of getting everyone together at a meeting to fill out the club registration paperwork and decide on executives as tedious, but easy at the same time, as the group is “made up of a lot of relaxed, type B people just trying to make it happen.”

Although there has only been one official meeting so far, they are planning to do more socials and events oriented towards studies. For example, they are doing a Diplôme d’Études en Langue Française (DELF) info session, hosted by Molleen Shilliday, a French professor in the Modern Languages Institute who is also a DELF examiner. DELF is an international language exam used to assess your proficiency of the French language. The exam is offered in a variety of levels: level A1 and A2 is for a basic knowledge of French and a speaker of this level would be able to hold a base-level conversation. The middle level, B1 and B2, is being able to have more complicated, spontaneous conversations and being able to express one’s own personal opinion in greater detail. The final

level, C1 and C2, is the equivalent of French being your primary language or mother tongue. Shilliday will explain the structure of the exam for interested students and provide resources and study tips for students who are preparing to take the exam.

The French Club is an invaluable resource for French students who want more practice outside of the classroom. Dion described the purpose of the club as being a support system for students to go to if they need their work looked over or if they want to actually have a French conversation in a relaxed, social setting, without the pressures of the classroom.

The club also wants host some events following French traditions, such as the Winter Festival in Quebec, which is held as Festival du Bois in Coquitlam. As well, the club is looking into taking students to La Seizième in Vancouver, a Frenchspeaking theatre company.

So what inspired Dion to become president of the French Club?

“I have so much knowledge of the French culture, I know how to speak well, and I’m not scared to speak in front of people to get things going,” Dion said. “I just want to provide an actual French experience for my fellow students.”

Dion recognized the difficulties a French student can encounter, especially in a province with one of the lowest-percentage of French speakers in Canada. She described learning a language as learning to play an instrument: you can study the theory behind it as much as you want, but eventually you need to actually put your hands on the instrument and start playing.

“If you want to learn French you just have to start throwing yourself into it and start talking ... You’ll get it eventually, but you have to put the practice and talk,” Dion said.

“We want to encourage all levels of French to join; if you speak ‘Frenglish,’ that’s okay, you’re trying. We’re here to help you find the right words and the right way to say something.”

If you are interested in joining the French Club, most UFV French professors can provide information on how to join. The regular bi-weekly meetings that focus around planning different events and socials are scheduled according to the availability of interested students, so join the UFV French Club Facebook group to learn all the details of upcoming meeting times.

Attend the official launch party at the Trading Post on Oct. 18 at 6 p.m. or attend the DELF info session on Oct. 17 at 11 a.m. in room B154.

sports@ufvcascade.ca Alex Jesus — Sports Editor

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019

SPORTS

Interview //

Women’s Soccer //

UFV’s new men’s volleyball head Zacharuk Goal coach, former British national Stands Alone For Cascades Road Trip team member Nathan Bennett

The Cascades headed east to take on the Dinos and the Timberwolves NIC JACKSON After spending last weekend playing two games at home, the Cascades headed east to play against the University of Calgary Dinos and the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) Timberwolves.

Heading into the weekend the Cascades held a record of 2-2-4.

Starting off the weekend, the Cascades were hosted by the division leader, Calgary Dinos on Friday. Before Friday, the Dinos had yet to lose a game in the regular season, and were sitting at a record of 6-0-2.

When the game began the Cascades looked to be affected by the long road trip. In the first half of play, they were only able to take a total of three shots, only one of which was on the net. In contrast, the Dinos made 13 shooting attempts, which forced UFV goaltender, Joven Sandhu, to make a total of five saves. Despite Sandhu’s best efforts, Dinos’ players Taylor Dangerfield and Sienna Prince-McPherson were able to capitalize in the first half, resulting in a 2-0 for the Dinos after the first half of play.

As play resumed in the second half, the Cascades seemed to have shaken off the road trip fatigue. After half-time, they were able to keep the Dinos to only three more shots — 10 less than the previous half. Although the Cascades seemed to correct their defensive struggles from the first half for the most part, Dinos’ PrinceMcPherson scored her second

of the night off an interception from UFV’s goaltender, Andrea Perkovic. Although there was still over 15 minutes left of play after Prince-McPherson’s goal, neither team would be able to find the back again. The game ended with the Cascades defeated, 3-0.

After Friday’s disappointing loss, however, the Cascades were given another chance to grab a win during the weekend in Prince George. In the game against UNBC, the Cascades started the match eager to start the scoring. With only allowing the Timberwolves to take three shots in the first half, while taking nine of their own, the Cascades’ Brittney Zacharuk was able to put the first point up on the board for the Cascades. This goal came a quarter into the game when Cascades’ Katie Lampen delivered a cross-field pass to Zacharuk. On the run, Zacharuk shot the ball into the net, past UNBC’s Brooke Molby.

Despite the Cascades heavily outshooting the Timberwolves in both halves, UNBC’s Sofia Jones was able to capitalize on a late-game shot in the 85th minute of play. With little time to answer, the Cascades ended the game with a 1-1 tie — their fifth tie of the season.

Next weekend the Cascades will be playing twice against the Trinity Western University Spartans. Friday, Oct. 11 will see the Cascades head to Langley’s Chase Office Field, followed by them returning to Matsqui Recreation Centre in Abbotsford on Sunday, Oct. 13.

Slapshots //

ALEX JESUS

It’s not every day that a brandnew program emerges for a school as developed as UFV, but here we are. UFV’s move to Canada West shouldn’t be seen as insignificant just because it already had volleyball teams; this is a whole new level of play.

To ease the transition, the Cascades have welcomed new coaching staff. Leading the charge for the men’s squad is Nathan Bennett. From a collegiate career, to a professional career, to Olympic aspirations, Bennet now finds his latest challenge here at UFV. As he explains, it’s been quite a journey

“They’re working hard and they’re doing what they can do to show me that they deserve to be here.” for the first-year head coach.

Bennett played at the University of Alberta before having a 12-year pro career overseas. After that, he went on to even greater heights, winning a spot on the British national team. However, in the spring of 2012, with the Olympics looming, Bennett suffered a serious injury.

“I blew my knee out about two [or] three months before the Olympics in 2012 in London. I knew I was going to be a coach for a long time, [it was] something I’d been planning on doing. When I was retiring from volleyball, that was the goal,” Bennett said.

For many, a serious injury could dissuade someone from continuing on in a sport, but it didn’t stop Bennett. He embraced his new role when he began coaching at Capilano University in 2012, and has since continued his volleyball journey by coaching.

Accidental Flyers fan I really like hockey. I hate to admit this, because it makes me too… Canadian, and I hate to conform to stereotypes, but it’s true.

When I started dating my ex, I started watching hockey with him. It was fun at first — tolerable, even secretly enjoyable.

He is a die-hard Philadelphia Flyers fan.

I came to know every dang player on the team, even coming up with my own nicknames for them: Baby Patrick, Brian Smelliot (he was good for a while), Michael Waffl.

We even went to see two live games together and I was genuinely starstruck to be in the same room as the Flyers. (“Omg, there’s Simmonds, IN THE FLESH!) But after a

while, my boyfriend’s intense involvement in the game became so stressful that I started resenting watching; he couldn’t miss a single one and would get very worked up over them. Now that we’re broken up, and the season has started again, I found myself craving a game. So I threw one on the other day, was excited to watch the new rookies try and prove themselves, was stoked about seeing Carter Hart in net, and thoroughly enjoyed watching the game in peace, with no screaming or anxiety.

Darien Johnsen

Though Bennett is new to UFV as a coach, he is familiar with the program from his days at Capilano.

Oct. 4 – “UFV always had a great facility. Their gym Oct. 6, 2019 was nice in comparison to a lot of other PACWEST schools,” Bennett said.

He also noticed the Game/Date: growth of athletics at UFV Versus University of CalUFV in general, creditgary Friday, Oct. 4 ing athletic and campus Result: recreation director Steve Loss (0-3) Tuckwood with his work on improving the department.

Game/Date: “From what I underUFV Versus University of stand, these offices never University of Northern British existed before, so, brandColumbia Sunday, Oct. 6 new offices and putting Result: some money toward Tie (1-1) the athletic department, which is great. It’s going to take time, but eventually we’ll get to where a one-year tryout to be on this we need to be to be competitive in team next year.”

Canada West.”

According to Bennett, the team Along with the university’s has responded well to the incomcommitment to its athletic de- ing expectations for Canada West partment, Bennett said that the level volleyball. team’s eagerness to play and “They’re working hard and their display of respect shows they’re doing what they can do to he’s not only working with vol- show me that they deserve to be leyball players, but rather athletes here.” that are “all good human beings, When it comes to what Bennett which is great to see.” would like the new program to be With the team working togeth- known for, it’s very simple: er well and showing good sports“What I want people to talk manship, Bennett sees a great about outside of our program foundation for a program that is how we play. I want people to will have to create its own new come into games, I want people culture under his leadership. The to see that we don’t quit, we work year will be one of drastic chang- hard. We’re positive, we’re helpes, which likely will include the ing each other, we’re supportroster. That’s a conversation that ing each other, and those are the isn’t always easy to have with a types of things that I want people team that likely all want to keep to see.” their roster spots.

Come see the new Cascades as “To be honest, the guys on the they embark on their last PACteam — and I was pretty clear — WEST campaign this Friday, here they got a one-year tryout. They’re at the UFV Abbotsford campus. ahead of everyone else. They have

UFV Cascades Sports Scores Women’s Soccer

The current state of a Toronto Maple Leafs fan I get it. I am a part of the most meme’d fanbase in all of hockey. Somehow, Vancouver destroys a city when their team loses, but we “haven’t won anything since 1967”. I say that to say this: it looks like our days as perennial losers are over. Gone are the first round exit heartbreaks (I hope) with the news that we have Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Mitch Marner all locked up and under contract. So now what? Are we champions? Is Toronto guaranteed the chip? I admit it does not. We have a long way to go. Playoff experience is lacking for our crew, although the talent is there without question. We are still some-

how the laughingstock of the NHL, at the chagrin of myself and other Leaf’s sympathizers. However, hockey fans, just let us celebrate this one time, okay? I know, we didn’t win anything. Heck, we probably won’t, but just let us at least be happy that we have a contender for the first time in years. Maybe, just maybe, we have a shot this year. Until then, I will accept your unrelenting arsenal of “1967” jokes, and for a short time, tolerate your memes suggesting we can’t and won’t win anything. Ah, the struggles of being a Leafs’ fan.

Alex Jesus

15

STUDY BREAK Crossword //

VOL. 27 // ISSUE 21

Made by Andrea Sadowski

ACROSS

DOWN

2: Present everywhere at all times.

1: When something has happened purely by chance.

8: To make someone anxious or feel unsettled.

3: When you’re not wearing any clothes.

9: A perfectly normal word you can use to greet someone.

4: A heavy, sometimes decorative, object used to hold down a stack of documents.

5: The planet we live on.

10: Water, in gaseous form.

6: The process of distributing uniformly.

13: Not a thing. Zero. Nada.

7: Prohibited or restricted by social custom.

14: Gradually decreasing in speed.

10: A Spanish sir.

11: A Central American cereal plant that yields large grains set in rows on a cob.

12: The holy book of Islam.

LAST ISSUE’S

ANSWERS: Down: 1: Amniotic Fluid 2: Bedside Manner 3: Catchment Area 4: Yuppification 5: Solipsism 6: White Flag 7: Reputable

Across: 1: Algebraically 5: Soda Water 8: Irish 9: Precedent 10: Aglet 11: Menagerie 12: Deforestation

Cascade Calamities

Horoscopes //

Your weekly life predictions as told by Ang the Great

Aries — Mar 21 to Apr 19 You have a talent for seeing the silver lining in every dark cloud. Don’t let the gloomy days ahead dampen your passion and enthusiasm for life. Shine like the brightest star in the sky and those around you will follow suit.

Taurus — Apr 20 to May 20 Your search for a living space partner is over.

You will be blessed this week to finally find the roommate you were looking for. They may not be perfect, but neither are you, darling.

Be patient as you learn to live together in harmony.

Gemini — May 21 to Jun 20 You need to stop leaving your projects until the last minute! Geminis have the uncanny ability to learn quickly and be adaptable to new situations, but you are causing yourself more stress than necessary. Get your work done on time and peace will follow.

Cancer —Jun 21 to Jul 22 A season of travel awaits you. You will soon be on an adventure that takes you to an exotic, faraway land — somewhere you never imagined you would be going. Make the most of this journey and engrain each memory into your brain forever.

Leo — Jul 23 to Aug 22 You comfort others like a warm bowl of butternut squash soup on a chilly fall day.

Your cheerful nature and good humour will be a source of joy to those around you this week.

Thank you for all that you do!

Virgo —Aug 23 to Sep 22 You are never one to give up. You share a life motto with Ricky Bobby: “If you’re not first, you’re last.” Keep this momentum going this week, as you may find yourself in a slump.

Resist the urge to spend every evening scouring Netflix and stay focused on the tasks in front of you.

Libra — Sep 23 to Oct 22 A social butterfly, you are flitting between all the clubs and associations you hold executive positions in, the part-time job you are a supervisor at, and the variety of the classes in your interdisciplinary major that allows you to make the most friends possible. Regain focus this week, as you may be spreading yourself too thin and unable to hold onto commitments you once made.

Scorpio — Oct 23 to Nov 21 Hun, stop scrolling! Nothing good is going to come from you constantly comparing your life to others. Focus on all of the wonderful things around you this week, tell people in your life that you appreciate them, start to be in awe of the beautiful life that you lead — there is so much to be grateful for!

Illustration by Elyssa English Sagittarius — Nov 22 to Dec 21 You are worth more than bags of microwave popcorn and styrofoam cups of Mr. Noodle.

It is time to restructure your eating habits and start feeding your body for success! It is yearning for a fruit or vegetable of any kind, a complex carbohydrate, and a lean protein.

Listen to your body’s signals this week and put some effort into feeding it.

Capricorn — Dec 22 to Jan 19 Forgive and forget: this is something you have always struggled with, my sweet Capricorn. It is time to let go of the grudge you have been holding on to for far too long. Make room in your heart for a brighter future and more loving relationships by finally letting go of the past.

Aquarius — Jan 20 to Feb 18 Most people don’t understand your keen sense of style. That haircut is so uniquely you, your socks are perfectly on brand, and your bag is covered in pins of organizations you firmly stand behind. Don’t let others crush your personal expression this week; instead, be the most flamboyant, authentic version of yourself you can possibly be.

Pisces — Feb 19 to Mar 20 Do not be overly trusting of people this week.

There is someone in your life with malicious intent who does not have your best interests at heart. Be careful with your interactions with strangers, and be on your guard for any spooky activity that may cross your path.

16

arts@ufvcascade.ca Chandy Dancey — Arts Editor

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019

ARTS

Book //

Stephen King’s latest horror confronts the monster in all of us KRYSTINA SPRACKLIN If you’re still clinging to the hype of It Chapter Two, Stephen King’s latest film release, prepare for his newest novel, The Institute, which brings us back to evil in its truest form (as well as the funniest band of kids since the Losers’ Club). While not a horror novel directly, King returns to a key theme from his debut novel Carrie, focusing on the inhumanity among us that triumphs when it goes unchallenged.

Luke Ellis, the protagonist, is not your typical 12-year-old boy, namely for some of the dated catchphrases he’s prone to using.

“Calm down, mamacita,” said by Luke, is something a 72-year-old writer in Maine would probably peg as “Gen Z” slang.

Luke Ellis is one of many psychic children abducted in the night and brought to the harrowing Institute, where he learns that his parents have been murdered, there’s no escape, and that the only thing worse than the near-drowning torture he’s subjected to is the threat of disappearing to the Back Half, where the kids are never heard from again.

Set in the modern United States under the turbulent presidency of Donald Trump, King brings contemporary issues of immigration detention camps, dehumanization

of migrants, and even declining funds for mongering found on social media that public libraries to light. King has never suggests that what’s different or foreign shied away is dangerous. from including King confronts commentar y this hatred in on then-sitting a scathing cripresidents tique by taking such as Clinyoung, relatton, Bush, and able, and, as Nixon, and they always the presence are, innocent of Trump linchildren and gers in the weapon i zi ng background the same rhetothroughout ric that spews the near 600 from various page novel, alpolitical leadluding to the ers for his vilauthor’s heavy lainous entoucriticism of rage instead. the American The novel leader and his shares elecurrent state of ments from affairs. We are Ne t f l i x ’s not ignorant to Stranger Things the dehuman(think of the izing language detainment that paints imof Eleven in migrants and the first two migrant indiseasons), but viduals as threats; there’s plenty of fear- it also parallels the immigration deten-

tion centres in the southern USA, albeit incidentally, as King began writing The Institute before Trump’s immigration policies came into effect. Children in the book are no longer innocent or even considered people, but instead they’re classified as dangerous, powerful vessels to be broken down then moulded into something new.

Each child is gifted as either TP (telepathic) or TK (telekinetic), and the “instructors” are determined to obtain nothing short of perfect results. I won’t spoil The Institute’s intentions and why the folks in charge feel no shame in torturing children, but King is committed to the concept that the villain never recognizes villainy in themselves — the idea of the “greater good” has various considerations at play.

While King’s endings often face scrutiny for their lackluster reveals, The Institute answers to its many mysteries with an exciting though uncertain resolution that leaves it open to interpretation (and if you go online, there are various reactions already out there). The flap jacket warns us that the good guys don’t always win, and there are layers upon layers to that truth. If you’re seeking a recommendation for your next October read, fans of It, The Shining, or Firestarter will find a familiar and unsettling thrill in the pages of The Institute.

Movie //

Ad Astra: an odyssey of fear and loneliness DUNCAN HERD We are in the midst of a science fiction renaissance. The midto-late 2010s have been host to numerous blockbusters such as Interstellar, Arrival, Blade Runner 2049, and Annihilation in addition to smaller, independent, and more intimate movies like Prospect, High Life, and Ex Machina.

But regardless of these movies’ differences in tone, budget, and theme, they all hark back to the golden era of sci-fi cinema in the ‘70s and ‘80s.

I was reminded of this recently when I had the pleasure of watching Ad Astra: a tragic, yet hopeful, sci-fi drama from director James Gray starring Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland, and Natasha Lyonne in addition to many other recognizable names. Ad Astra tell the story of an accomplished but emotionally walled-off astronaut, played masterfully by Brad Pitt, who takes to the stars (which “ad astra” is Latin for) in order to find his longlost father.

Rife with Freudian symbolism and existentialist philosophy, it is perhaps easier to articulate what makes Ad Astra so captivating by comparing it with several other

great films. The first that comes to mind is Interstellar, the 2014 Christopher Nolan directed epic chronicling humanity’s desperate search for refuge off a dying planet. While the two blockbusters may seem closely related, their setting is as close as the parallels come. Without spoiling either of the two movies, Interstellar is very much a call back to the hopeful sci-fi of the ‘50s: humanity perseveres, and the main characters find closure in their own way.

Ad Astra, however, tells a darker, more realistic, and identifiable story. A story of abandonment, loneliness, and utter resignation.

A story that, unfortunately, many viewers may feel diverts from the escapism one might expect from your average sci-fi flick. In fact, a far more accurate (and identifiable for cinephiles and classic movie buffs out there) parallel is to the 1979 Coppola masterpiece, Apocalypse Now. Set during the Vietnam war, Martin Sheen plays a introspective army captain tasked with hunting down and killing a rogue colonel now being worshipped as a god in the jungle by its native inhabitants.

Apocalypse Now is submerged in allegories concerning the sexualization of violence, desensiti-

zation to war, and the human descent into madness. While Ad Astra has very different ideas at play, the story itself is not only remarkably similar but the tone is as well. Throughout both movies, we watch Brad Pitt and Martin Sheen drift through space and down the river, respectively, to confront their own demons in anticlimactic, and yet so thoroughly impactful, finales.

Brad Pitt’s performance is, once again, nothing short of fantastic, begging the audience to relate to his feelings of isolation and emotional suppression as his insignificance is made more and more apparent throughout the film via the use of masterful cinematography with long and punctual shots conveying either meaninglessness in an infinite universe or atavistic panic. Both Tommy Lee Jones as cosmonaut Clifford McBride and Donald Sutherland as Colonel Pruitt also provide mature performances one could expect from such veterans of filmmaking. There are several moments in the movie where the symmetry and raw beauty of the set pieces are so jaw-dropping that they are comparable to the legendary 2001: A Space Odyssey

by Stanley Kubrick.

But while stunning, the movie

does have its fair share of flaws.

The score of Ad Astra does not hold up in comparison to genre legends such as A Space Odyssey’s use of classical pieces and Hans Zimmer’s organ-laden symphonies from Interstellar. While complementary, there is never a particular moment in the film where I felt that the music made a serious contribution to the presentation of its otherwise flawless aspects. In a sci-fi film, this is a far more noticeable detraction than it would be in other genres.

Ad Astra makes for a brilliant parable on the oftentimes strained relationships between fathers and sons and the unhealthy coping mechanisms we develop when we are unable to communicate our despair. I definitely recommend catching this movie on the big screen to really allow yourself to become

fully immersed in the setting.

Both psychology and philosophy students will enjoy this movie, as will most others who enjoy semi-arthouse films. While some might call the ending a sad or tragic one, with the right perspective it can be a liberating and hopeful beginning for somebody who is ready to let go.

17

VOL. 27 // ISSUE 21

Album //

CHARTS 1 Kristin Witko

Zone Of Exclusion

The Battle of Yaldabaoth, a satirical headbanger

SHUFFLE

Infant Annihilator releases impeccable album

AARON LEVY

LAW ABIDING CITIZEN

3 Kyler Pierce

CIVL Station Manager Aaron Levy leaves you with these pieces of wisdom, some previously shuffled, all of which relate to the upcoming federal elections, in every country.

4

Run the Jewels — “A Report to the Shareholders / Kill Your Masters”

2 Blessed Salt

If I Changed (Single) Lia Gronberg The Shady Pines EP

Saip 5 Kellen Down (Single)

6 Wangled Teb

Seasonal Depression

7 Rich Aucoin 8 9

Release

Partner Saturday the 14th Jessie Reyez Being Human in Public

10 Classified

Tomorrow Could Be...

11 Jenny Hval

The Practice of Love

12 Ada Lea

what we say in private

13

Orville Peck Pony

14

Munya Munya

15 Ariel Pink

Bolivian Summer (Single)

16 Corridor Junior

17 Vivian Girls Memory

20

18

Bright Eyes — “When the President Talks to God” Conor Oberst hasn't done a lot that I love, but the dialogue between a presumed President of the United States of America, George W. Bush, and a mysterious, preeminent character referred to only as "God," sung here as lyrics for this Bright Eyes classic, is quite the compelling piece.

702 — “Where My Girls At?” “Where my girls at / From the front to back / Well is you feelin' that / Put one hand up / Can you repeat that / Tryin' to take my man / See I don't need that / So don't play yourself / … / Don't you violate me / ‘Cause I'ma make ya hate me / If you decide to mess with mine.”

Everlast Like”

—

“What

It's

Before spewing harshness at A Short Story About A War leaders of this or that party, or candidates in this/that riding, remember what Everlast Weyes Blood of House of Pain fame says: Titanic Rising "God forbid you ever had to walk a mile in his shoes / … / Emile Bilodeau ‘Cause then you really might Grandeur Mature know what it's like to have to lose."

18 Shad 19

"Choose the lesser of the evil people and the devil still gon' win / It could all be over tomorrow, kill our masters and start again / But we know we all afraid, so we just simply cry and march again." Is anything else necessary to describe non-politicians before and after elections?

MALOKAI MCGUIRE-BRITZ As of Sept. 11 (drummer Aaron Kitcher’s birthday), Infant Annihilator has finally released their third studio album that has taken the metal world by storm. The Battle of Yaldabaoth is filled with astounding vocal performances, marvellous guitar leads/riffs, and brutal blast beats. All of these qualities show listeners just how talented this three-piece band really is. The band has challenged political correctness by bringing forth controversial occult themes through the passion the members pour into everything they do.

The lyrical content may be sickening and unnerving to some; however, it delivers the same type of shock factor that many metal bands have become very successful through executing. Infant Annihilator delivers this shock factor monumentally through the intensity of the drums and guitar and the raw talent of Dickie Allen's screams.

Allen has become exponentially popular in the underground metal scene and I regard him to be one of the best.

The cover of the album depicts the Battle of Yaldabaoth itself with two abhorrent non-human armies with a large, black cathedral in the background underneath a clouded, bloodshot moon.

Although the battle looks grand and mythological, it's merely a creation by the band. The album deals with disturbing themes such as the prevention of the Second Coming and disposing of in-

fants in order to prevent it. Of course, this is all a satirical hyperbole based on the Catholic Church’s rhetoric and acts they’ve committed in the past.

The vulgar and sinister lore behind Infant Annihilator can be a turn-off as it deals with perturbing themes that cause people to cringe and scoff; however, it should not be taken seriously, along with most metal bands in the death metal genre.

The title track, “The Battle of Yaldabaoth,” is a prime demonstration of the band members' abilities. It features vocalist Alex Teyen who sings in guitarist Edward Pickard’s second deathcore band, Black Tongue. The song is filled with heavy, orchestral guitar riffs and brain-quaking growls, plus an ending no one saw coming. It starts out as a slow vocal solo by Teyen then suddenly takes a U-turn by implementing a strange, melodic guitar lick beside a simple drum track with a couple random outbursts that shock the listener. It is safe to say nothing like this song, never mind the album, has ever been heard or created before; I personally will be listening to it for decades to come.

This style of music may not be enjoyed by all and it takes a finely tuned ear and cranked sound system to hear everything that's going on. However, this genre of music is where passion like no other is conveyed and expressed in a way that takes fans to another world. It is thanks to great new metal albums like this that an increasing part of the population can always have something to bang their head to.

ARTS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019

Rewind //

Album //

The Lumineers’ bardic truth about addiction EMMA DION The Lumineers released a new album this September called III with 13 tracks. The quality of the music on the album flows with their previous sound. It’s great that they have stayed in their niche of folk music with an acoustic angle, such as the piano still having hooks in the riffs, which is pleasing to the ears. I find the songs are still written with some ambiguity but with a fable-like structure. So, when listening to the album, it’s like listening to a story. That’s one thing I’ve always enjoyed about The Lumineers when listening to them. In this album, the theme is addiction, specifically how alcoholism affects people and the people who are affected by it.

The band approached this by dividing the album “in three chapters corresponding with the album’s 10 tracks, [in which] we follow three generations of a workingclass family” as per the description in The Lumineers’ official short film trailer for the album. This approach is brilliant because it covers another aspect of addiction: how it can be a generational issue.

The main character and the beginning of the cycle starts with Gloria Sparks who appears in the music video. She is the first chapter of their story. The other two chapters focus on Gloria’s son and grandson, and how they deal with addiction themselves. There are 10 music videos, in three chapters, of this family’s history.

Since this album starts with Gloria Sparks, I find that that the songs written about her hold great significance.

The three songs about her are “Donna,” “Gloria,” and “Living in the City.” These songs show us that she can’t cope well with the traumas from her life; she tries to compensate for this with alcohol. For example, the first verse of the song “Gloria” reads: “Gloria, I smell it on your breath / Gloria, booze and peppermint / Gloria, no one said enough is enough / Gloria, they found you on the floor / Gloria, my hand was tied to yours / And, Gloria, did you finally see that enough is enough?”

With these lines, I felt moved by Gloria’s suffering and how she can’t find any other ways to deal with her pain. “No one said enough is enough” is such a strong line because everyone is too scared to talk about the hard subjects such as intervening in someone’s alcoholism. Someone who has experienced this kind of struggle from either side can understand this one aspect.

Another addiction that is explored would be gambling in the song “Jimmy Sparks,” based on Gloria’s son. The lyrics hit hard on the desperation that Jimmy is experiencing trying to fulfill his addiction to gambling, and the consequences following his risky behaviour as well as his responsibilities of caring for a child.

He attempts to do it all but ultimately fails.

“Broke Jimmy's habits got in mountains and mountains of debt / And now the sharks are coming back to collect, oh-oh / They stripped his jewelry and the boots off Jim's feet / They kick him out of the car and said we'll give you a week / Eight miles from home and only 18 degrees / It was 3 a.m.” The song ends with Jimmy’s son seeing his father on the side of the road, not recognizing him, but not picking him up based on Jimmy’s teachings of his worldview, in this case not to pick up hitchhikers. The irony has a rather sad twist, but it’s brilliant for the fact it shows the weight of bad decisions being made.

I highly recommend watching the music videos for this album; it’s quite the experience. They put a lot of effort into making a video for every song that’s a part of the Sparks’ family journey. It’s like watching a movie musical; it’s easier to sympathize with the emotions experienced by the family dealing with addiction when they’re exposed in a visual format.

The Lumineers have held true to their folk and bardic sound with this concept album. Telling this story about Gloria’s lineage can help their listeners peer into and understand the difficulties and struggles of dealing with addiction. I find this album to be a success, and I hope to catch them in concert!

Cronos: the fight for eternal life KAREN WHITE Guillermo del Toro is a talented director. Most of us know him from his work directing The Shape of Water, which came out in 2017, Crimson Peak from 2015, or my personal favourite Pan’s Labyrinth back in 2006. Going back even further, I watched del Toro’s film Cronos from 1993 which is available to watch on Kanopy, a streaming service available for free to UFV students.

What a weird but interesting film. It starts off with a voiceover which tells us that a 16th-century alchemist created a small object he called a Cronos device that would bestow the gift of eternal life to whoever p o s sessed it.

The alchemist is found dead and we jump to moder n-day Mex ico, where an old antique dealer called J e s ú s G r i s (Federico Luppi) and his granddaughter Aurora (Tamara Shanath) discover the device hidden in one of the antiques.

Gris opens the device, which burrows painfully into his palm causing him to pull the device away from his hand.

The next day Gris is feeling amazing and looks a little younger. Meanwhile, a dying billionaire (Claudio Brook) is spending his last few years looking for the exact device Gris found. His nephew, Angel de la Guardia (Ron Perlman), is searching everywhere for the device. Their quest ends when they find the antique in Gris’s shop. From this point on it is a battle among the men.

Angel de la Guardia murders Gris over the Cronos device, and Gris

comes back but looks terrible and weak. The device is able to give eternal life but at a price. Gris’s granddaughter, who is very young in the film, is an interesting character.

Shanath is able to portray such an innocent little girl who is very much traumatized from watching her grandfather come back to life and then rot before her eyes. She watches as he sucks the blood from the billionaire but continues to be courageous and help her grandfather.

Del Toro created essentially a vampire horror film but without the religious and sexualized elements that are common in recent media depicting vampire. Del Toro has an eye for creating dark fables, much like Pan’s Labyrinth. Most of his shots are dark and expressive and take place in the rain or down a dark alleyway. He makes a nice, sunny, popular place to travel to, like Mexico, into a dim and gloomy h o r r o r film.

Del Toro created an eerie atmo spher e t hroughout the entire film.

When Gris and Aurora find the device in an old archangel statue, cockroaches come pouring out of it, which makes the audience squirm in their seats. When Gris smells blood for the first time and ends up licking it off the floor, the audience wants to look away with disgust.

Cronos is an impressive film that depicts the theme of eternal life and at what lengths people will go in order to pursue it. The film is older, so the effects don't hold up to what we are used to today, but the story and the dark cinematography are what will capture you. Whether or not you are a del Toro fan, Cronos is well worth the watch.

19

Note:

Some of these events require tickets, most are on Facebook. If something catches your eye, take to the internet for more details.

Events Calendar • C3 - Contemporary Art Tour Part 1 @ The Reach Gallery (Abbotsford), 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.

• Tom Wilson @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.

• Arts & Cultural Activities — Mini Button Blanket and Beaded Dragonfly @ UFV (Chilliwack), A1201, 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

• Purple Lights Lighting Ceremony @ The Reach Gallery (Abbotsford), 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

• UFV Mental Health Screening Day @ UFV (Abbotsford), Great Hall, Building B, 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

• Gallery Night @ Ravens Brewing Company (Abbotsford), 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.

• Celtic Night with Murphy’s Lagh @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.

• Arts & Cultural Activities — Dreamcatchers and Beaded Dragonfly @ UFV (Abbotsford), Student Life Lounge, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

• Agricultural Centre Tours & Info Session @ UFV (Chilliwack), Agriculture Centre, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

• Every Girl Matters Day in BC @ The Reach Gallery (Abbotsford), 5:00 - 6:00 p.m.

• Cranberry Festival @ Fort Langley National Historic Site, 10:00 a.m.

• Roots and Blues with Brandon Isaak @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.

• Fun For Cover’s Crazy Hair Day @ Vicinity Lounge (Abbotsford), 8:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.

• Arts Expo 2019 @ UFV (Abbotsford), Envision Athletics Centre, 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

• C3 - Contemporary Art Tour Part 2 @ The Reach Gallery (Abbotsford), 10:30 – 11:00 a.m.

• Spooking Succulent Sale Fundraiser for the Wildlife Protection Club @ UFV (Abbotsford), Student Life Lounge, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

• Arts & Cultural Activities - Mini Button Blanket and Beaded Flowers @ UFV (Abbotsford), Indigenous Student Centre, 10:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

• Family Feud @ Townhall Public House (Abbotsford), 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.

• UFV Blood Drive @ UFV (Abbotsford), Student Union Building, 12:00 – 7:00 p.m.

• Beginner Trail Running Workshop @ Garrison Running Co. (Chilliwack), 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

• Sunday Family Arts @ The Reach Gallery (Abbotsford), 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. and 3 - 4:30 p.m.

• Association of Geography Undergrad Students Fall Fundraiser @ Townhall Public House (Abbotsford), 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.

• What to Do With Your History Degree @ UFV (Abbotsford), B133, 3:30 - 5:30 p.m.

• Exploring Diversity: A Dialogue on Culture, Ethnicity, and Identity Through the Arts @ The Reach Gallery (Abbotsford), 5:30 – 8:00 p.m.

• President’s Town Hall @ UFV (Abbotsford), A225, 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.

• President’s Town Hall @ UFV (Chilliwack), A2428, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

• Customer Appreciation Day @ Clearbrook Library (Abbotsford), 2:00 – 8:00 p.m.

• C3 - Man in Motion Tour @ The Reach Gallery (Abbotsford), 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.

• Arts & Cultural Activities — Medicine Bags & Beaded Flowers @ UFV (Chilliwack), A1201, 11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

• Dutch Blitz Tournament @ Boardwalk Cafe and Games (Abbotsford), 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.

• Blue Moon Marquee @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.

• UFV Cascades Men’s Volleyball Oktoberfest @ Abbotsford Centre, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.

• 16th Annual Mane Event Equine Horse Expo @ Chilliwack Heritage Park, 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

• Hallowe’en BandJam 4 @ Abbotsford Arts Centre, 2:00 p.m. - midnight • Dinner en Flannel @ Old Yale Brewing (Chilliwack), 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.

• Metis Awareness Day @ UFV (Chilliwack), Gathering Place, A1457, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

• C3 — Off the Beaten Track @ The Reach Gallery (Abbotsford), 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.

• “Mission: Earth First” Free Public Talk by Gerben van Straaten @ UFV (Abbotsford), University House, F124, 1:15 – 2:00 p.m.

• UFV French Club Launch Party @ Trading Post (Abbotsford), 6:00 p.m.

• Geoff Berner @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.

• Clothing Fix It x City of Abbotsford @ Matsqui Centennial Auditorium (Abbotsford), 2:00 - 5:00 p.m.

• Archive Consignment Popup @ Highstreet Mall (Abbotsford), 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

• The Spillionaires @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.