The Cascade Vol. 20 No. 1 - January 11, 2012

THE CASCADE

Denouncing the hypocricies of our time since 1993

News 3 Opinion 6 Arts & Life 8 Feature 10 Sports & Health 16

North Koreans face uncertain future P. 6

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

survey says:

Yes.

students vote to secure mortgage for SUB construction p5

Four days in Lake Louise P. 10

The Q & A with singer-songwriter Josh Hyslop P. 12

How to strengthen your new regimen resolve

P. 17

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY, 2012

EDITORIAL

Eleven days into the future Paul ESAU

2012

THE CASCADE I realize New Years is a distant memory, but I doubt many of you out there have fully adjusted to the fact that we now live in a year which requires a two at the beginning and end of its cardinal notation. This is perhaps not significant in itself, it happened before in 2002, but it is a general symptom of the human need to break time up, to quantify it, and thereby make us all a tad paranoid about our own mortality.

Alternately, the idea of picking a semi-arbitrary date to separate two quantities of time seems to imply that there isn’t much point getting attached to a specific year anyway, unless you like a sense of perpetual, annual loss. What really matters about a year is not the number of digits it employs to differentiate itself from the all the other years in the chronology, but the events which will (hopefully) perpetuate its memory in the public psyche.

This creates a problem for years, such as 2012, which have yet to manifest memorable events. For what monument, besides the imminent Russell Brand/Katy Perry fireworks, can we use to define this annum in which we stand?

Obviously, we should embrace another human idiosyncrasy— the idea that years separated by various multiples of 10 share spiritual or situational kinship—and harken back to the events of glorious 1912 as a prophetic vision of the coming 12 months.

First and foremost, 1912 was the

year the Titanic sank (seriously, I’m not making this up). While one could make a lot of clever analogies to things like the economy, the Canadian Health Care System, Katy Perry’s bank account, and perhaps North Korea, these analogies would be nothing more than romantic thinking. After all, with fortitude and perseverance humanity was able to push through the disastrous shipwreck and keep progressing for two whole years until 2014 (I’m sorry, I meant 1914) and the start of the First World War. No romantic thinking there, I hope.

1912 was also the year the British reached the South Pole, only to discover that the Norwegians had already beaten them to it. I’m having trouble anticipating a parallel to this event because, frankly, I can’t remember anything notable being done by a Norwegian since 1945. I faintly recall the establishment of the Norwegian “black metal” genre in the 1980s as being fairly notable, more-so since reading the Wikipedia entry which claims that many of its pioneers were “linked with church burnings and murder” and also “neo-Nazism,” but I suspect I’m just displaying my ignorance of the many cultural, social and theological Norwegian accomplishments which do not involve channeling evil spirits through a guitar amp.

On a more sober note, 1912 marked the invention of the drug ecstasy in Germany, a dubious achievement which has already left its mark on Abbotsford this year. It heralded the First Balkan

War as a taste of the violence which would explode in Europe two years later, and it oversaw the destruction of the Qing Dynasty in China after 2000 years of Imperial rule. US Marines landed in both Cuba and Nicaragua in 1912, and Alan Turing, the mathematical genius responsible for breaking the Reich’s naval Enigma code during World War II, was born to minor gentry in Paddington, London.

I think the point of this, besides indulging the History Minor in me, is to propose that a man or woman, standing upon the threshold of the new year in 1911 could not possibly have anticipated the myriad of events which would create the tapestry of 1912. I further propose that, with some significant exceptions, it would be hard for such an individual to even identify the events which would, in hindsight, be seen as having significant historical importance. As a race we tend to stumble from slightly arbitrary period of time to slightly arbitrary period of time, pulling the wings from hurricane-laden butterflies and poking our fingers into the eye of the Fates.

But go on! Live! It’s a new dawn and a new year, and few people have had much success trying to predict the future from the past anyway. But if the US does happen to invade Cuba in the near future...

Then I’d stay off ocean liners.

Period.

Volume 20 · Issue 1 Room C1027 33844 King Road Abbotsford, BC V2S 7M8 604.854.4529 Editor-in-Chief esau@ufvcascade.ca Paul Esau Managing Editor nick@ufvcascade.ca Nick Ubels Business Manager ali@ufvcascade.ca Ali Siemens Online Editor michael@ufvcascade.ca Michael Scoular Production Manager stewart@ufvcascade.ca Stewart Seymour Art Director anthony@ufvcascade.ca Anthony Biondi Copy Editor joel@ufvcascade.ca Joel Smart News Editor grace@ufvcascade.ca Grace Romund Opinion Editor dessa@ufvcascade.ca Dessa Bayrock Arts & Life Editor amy@ufvcascade.ca Amy Van Veen Sports Editor sean@ufvcascade.ca Sean Evans Photojournalist Rebecca Groen Staff Writers Karen Aney, Jennifer Colbourne, Joe Johnson, Sasha Moedt, Leanna Pankratz, Alexei Summers

UPCOMING EVENTS

JANUARY 13

JANUARY 14

JANUARY 19-22

FEBUARY 20

Teatime at Baker House

UFV’s third annual curling bonspiel

Vancouver Motorcycle Show

Megadeth in concert at AESC

What better way to catch up with friends after winter holidays than teatime at Baker House. UFV International, in collaboration with UFV residence services, will continue to host their weekly event at Baker House, beginning on January 13 from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. This event is a free and is open to all UFV students and staff. Tea and other hot beverages will be offered along with treats, courtesy of Baker House Resident Services.

As a way to embrace the season and the winter sports that accompany it, Student Life and the Student Union Society are hosting UFV’s 3rd annual curling bonspiel at the Abbotsford Curling Club (2555 McMillan Road) from 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. This is the first year the event has been hosted collaboratively

by Student Life and Student Union so it promises to be even better than it has been in the past.

If Ducati’s and Harley Davidson’s are your passion the Vancouver Motorcycle Show will be in Abbotsford at the Tradex Exhibition Centre January 19-22. A wide range of new motorcycles, ATVs, scooters, and similar products will be showcased. Representatives from each of the various manufacturers will be available to answer all your two-wheeled vehicle questions. Admission is $13 per person and additionally there will be paid parking at the event.

Tickets are now available to see Megadeth on their GIGANTOUR February 20 at 6:30 p.m. at the Abbotsford Entertainment and Sports Centre. Tickets are available at the AESC box office or online at www.abbotsfordcentre.ca.

This is the first time Megadeth will be on tour since 2008.

In addition to the hard rock music giants the concert will feature performances by metal bands Motorhead, Volbeat, and Lacuna Coil.

Contributors Kyle Balzer, Balraj Dhillon, Becky Franklyn, James Inglis, Ariana Lachance, Kenneth Muir, Tim Ubels, Printed By International WebExpress

The Cascade is UFV’s autonomous student newspaper. It provides a forum for UFV students to have their journalism published. It also acts as an alternative press for the Fraser Valley. The Cascade is funded with UFV student funds. The Cascade is published every Friday with a circulation of 1500 and is distributed at UFV campuses and throughout Abbotsford, Chilliwack, and Mission. The Cascade is a member of the Canadian University Press, a national cooperative of 75 university and college newspapers from Victoria to St. John’s. The Cascade follows the CUP ethical policy concerning material of a prejudicial or oppressive nature.

Submissions are preferred in electronic format through e-mail. Please send submissions in “.txt” or “.doc” format only.

Articles and letters to the editor must be typed.

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. The writer’s name and student number must be submitted with each submission. Letters to the editor must be under 250 words if intended for print. Only one letter to the editor per writer in any given edition.

Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of UFV, Cascade staff and collective, or associated members.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2012

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NEWS

Making the strip appealing Grace Romund

THE CASCADE

We have all seen them – the run down, boarded up, under used eye sores that are old strip malls.

The City-Region Studies Centre at the University of Alberta is making strides to counteract the blight of the small strip mall.

Strip/Appeal is architecture and design competition hosted by the University of Alberta intended to showcase innovative ideas of how to reinvent and reuse small strip malls.

Scott Varga, UFV alumni and media technician of the Educational Technology Services department at UFV submitted his own design concept based on an old small-scale strip mall in historic downtown Abbotsford.

“I was inspired to submit my own design because as a new resident of downtown Abbotsford I felt that the Dollar Tree (ex-SuperValu) strip mall was a perfect metaphor for where our North American consumption-driven planning ideology has led us – to vacant, underutilized, and inefficient spaces.,” Varge explained. “I felt that if my concept could gain some sort of traction nationally, perhaps the momentum could then be carried into realized change for the betterment of the Fraser Valley.”

The participants were required to identify an “ailing” strip mall in their local areas and aesthetically recreate and rejuvenate the under achieving space. Varga’s is one of 20 designs shortlisted as potential winners of the Strip/Appeal competition. Eventually the University of Alberta plans on turning some of the designs sub-

mitted into a travelling exhibit intended to stimulate discussion of creative alternatives to dismally unused strip malls in design and architecture schools across North America.

“The title of my design is REconnect, so I focused on reconnecting the architecture to the topography and people to the architecture. This approach led me to reconsider the current planning and urban design framework so I decided to create a new ideology that includes building on, in, with, around, over and under the existing structure to create a symbiosis of old and new and a stratification of our design history. Rather than bulldoze our mistakes we must encapsulate them as monuments to ensure they are never repeated.”

Varga presents his design concept primarily in the form of a five-minute video presentation accompanied by a couple written paragraphs to further illustrate his vision. Other shortlisted competitors used storyboard panels and elaborate diagrams to feature their designs. A common thread between many of the designs is sustainability. The organizers of the competition specified in their submission guidelines that the designs must promote sustainability as well as walkability.

“Sustainability should be a key element in every choice we make, not just construction,” Varga emphasized. “We all understand that by building green in new construction we are still extracting scarce resources no matter how many LEED points we receive for the materials. REconnect looks at sustainability from a social context (to me social sustainability and economic sustainability are

Image: Scott Varga closely related): relationship development in urban gardening and food security by creating more effective use of roof space with economic spin off opportunities; the creation of public space for people to congregate and en-

gage in expressions of physical activity that rebel against the suburban proliferation of inactivity caused by the automobile; a revised positive identity created through form of place that engages all who visit and creates a des-

tination, thereby encouraging enterprise in the neighbourhood.”

The winners of the Strip/Appeal competition will be announced on January 16. The first prize winner will receive $1000.

UFV’s teaching excellence award open for nominations sasha moedt

THE CASCADE

UFV’s annual teaching excellence award is open for nominations for a faculty member to be recognised for exceptional efforts and accomplishments in their teaching. UFV students, alumni, faculty and staff are eligible to nominate an instructor. The deadline for nominations is this Friday.

UFV has a large number of instructors; to find one exceptional teacher and attempt to explain why they deserve this award might be daunting for students looking to nominate their favourite instructor. But it’s intended as a way to show appreciation. The nomination process itself is quite a task – that effort alone would show a great appreciation of the nominee.

The criteria for this award is posted online, with detailed sections including mentorship, attention to student learning in the instructional environment and in coursework, respect for students, and exemplary scholarship and

professionalism. These criteria are interesting to look at, applied to past recipients of the teaching excellence award.

Glen Baier, UFV philosophy instructor and 2010 recipient of the award, spoke about what it takes to capture the attention of those attending classes. “In terms of teaching, the major challenge is making the material seem important or interesting to the average student,” he said.

“I like to play off the apparent ‘strangeness’ of philosophy by presenting theories and arguments through unusual examples and weird questions. The more you can make students wonder about things, the easier it is to keep their attention.”

Sven VandeWetering, psychology professor, explained that relevance is vital in teaching the material. “My principal way of [maintaining relevance] this is to tell little personal anecdotes in which the point being discussed plays a role.”

VandeWetering, who received the 2009 teaching excellence award, said that to engage a class completely he has to

be“enthusiastic about the material I am teaching, and convey that enthusiasm to the students. In my experience, this is hard to fake, which means that I am fairly ineffective at engaging them with material I myself do not like.”

To engage individuals, VandeWetering mentioned how it is key “to be genuine, not be too intensely task focused (i.e. engage in a little small talk and whatnot), and try to work with the student in a spirit of inquiry; that is, I’m not the guy with all the answers, but I have more experience trying to answer psychological questions, so I can give some tips on investigating whichever question we are currently working on.”

Mentoring individuals is an important part of a teacher-student relationship. Whether a student goes to the instructor’s office hours for extra help or is enrolled in a directed studies course with the instructor, a one-on-one environment in common in a smaller school such as UFV. But though UFV professors are teaching smaller sized classes, diversity is a component of every group. To engage and teach a

group of separate individuals as a whole, and reach them effectively, is a difficult task to undertake.

“In regard to classroom activities,” Baier said. “I think it is necessary to have ready multiple ways of phrasing or framing a theory or argument. Sometimes you have to go over things in a number of different ways to ensure that you reach as many students as possible.”

Teaching a group requires conscious effort not to blend thirty different learning styles and interests. Wendy Burton, 2005 recipient of the Teaching Excellence award, discussed how different tactics can help teachers to better reach students. “I employ many, many strategies to create an inclusive learning environment. I continue to ask myself ‘Who is excluded here?’ in activities in the classroom. I choose different activities and different styles of teaching to accommodate different styles of learning. I understand very well the research on learning styles, and I incorporate as many facets of experience as possible in a lesson.”

Teaching is a complex task, and in an environment such UFV, in-

structors have the ability to make an impact on their students because of the class sizes, which gives them a chance for more communication between student and instructor.

Award recipients receive an award of $2500 during the annual convocation ceremony in June, which will be administered by the University in order to support the award recipient’s continuing academic development.

All regular faculty who have taught at UFV for two years and sessional instructors who have taught the cumulative equivalent of two years or more are eligible for the award. Nominations must have the consent and cooperation of the instructor, as various samples of work reflecting the criteria, past syllabi, a copy of his/her current curriculum and specific evidence of professional and scholarly activity are required.

Nomination packages should be submitted to Lisa Tassone, whose contact information is posted online at http://www.ufv.ca/senate/ awards/tea.htm, by Friday, January 13, 2012.

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY, 2012

NEWS

Vancouver’s downtown HMV shuts its doors leanna pankratz

THE CASCADE

The Robson Street HMV store offered a different kind of sale this holiday season. The once bustling location is now busier than ever, with merchandise flying off the shelves to the tune of up-to-50per-cent-off discounts – all heralded by large red and yellow signs that possess a twinge of sad desperation.

The closing down of HMV in Vancouver is just another victim of a global decline in CD sales, and the rise of the digital music age. Thirty per cent of Canadian music consumers prefer to buy online, and that number is steadily increasing. Another factor that plays into the issue is the problem is rent. Vancouverites are already familiar with the city’s obscenely high rent fees, such fees that prevent such 50,000 square foot locations from keeping up – particularly when their product is one that is struggling. Customers are not buying CDs anymore.

The presence of iTunes’ pickand-choose-for-99-cents-each option just looks remarkably more

convenient than 15 dollars for an 11 song compact disc where one might only listen to three tracks frequently. The CD is going out of style – following in the footsteps of the vinyl record and the cassette tape.

Meanwhile, employees at HMV’s flagship Robson Street location are looking more than a little jilted – advertising up to 70 per cent off sales that are essentially the death knell of their livelihood.

“I’ve basically come to terms with the fact that I’m losing my job,” sighed an employee who chose to remain nameless. “Some of us are being scattered to different locations, but I certainly don’t plan on leaving downtown. It’s too bad, really.” This anonymous employee is not the only one. The store’s closing means that 60 CD and DVD salespeople will be without jobs at the end of January.

In an interview with The Vancouver Sun, HMV Canada’s president, Nick Williams, stated that some of the employees will be moved to BC’s various remaining locations – nine in total. “[But] clearly we won’t be able to do that for everyone.”

“It kind of looks like the store has

been violated,” stated one teenage boy perusing the CD category labeled “Hip Hop.” He indicated to the shelves that only grow emptier – never to be restocked. “The deals are crazy! People are tearing CDs off the racks!”

“I find it very sad, actually,” said HMV customer Frank. “Living downtown, this is one of my favourite retail locations in the city.

It’s huge! Three stories of exactly the things I like to buy most,” he said. “I just can’t get into the whole iTunes thing. When I buy music, I like to hold it in my hand, and have the satisfaction of actually having bought something to add to a physical collection. Call me old fashioned, but that’s me.”

“While it’s too bad that the store has to close, it seems to be a reflection of what customers want when it comes to CDs versus digital, and in the end, that’s what retail is all about, right?” answered a female shopper when asked how she feels about the music giant’s last hurrah. “I’m just enjoying the opportunity to buy music for 70 per cent off!”

“Everything must go!” yelled a man wearing a bright yellow sign.

Image: Jeffery Simpson

NEWS BRIEFS

cfs imgae:handout

Image: the cascade

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Image: facebook.com

UBC PhD student found murdered in Mexico

Simon Fraser Student Society offically ends CFS membership

Ottawa may face C$15 billion suit over Wheat Board

Mafia now “Italy’s No.1 bank” as crisis bites: report

MP switches parties, weakening opposition

The recent murder of a University of British Columbia PhD student in Mexico has saddened the university community and shown the more dangerous side of traveling abroad.

UBC student Ximena Osegueda, 39, was working on her thesis in Hispanic studies. She went missing on Dec. 14 in Huatulco, Mexico, according to CTV News.

She was found next to another body, identified as Alejandro Honorio Santamaria. Both victims were stabbed in the neck and set on fire, according to Manuel de Jesus Lopez, an attorney general in Oaxaca. It has not been confirmed whether Osegueda was in Mexico for UBC-related business.

Police say there is evidence of criminal operations in that area.

Janet Teasdale, senior director of Student Development at UBC, said that all students who travel as part of UBC programs or research are informed about safety risks in the country they are visiting.

“Every student at UBC is asked to register themselves when they are going abroad. As part of that registry, if it is a country of risk, they’re informed about the kind of risks they can experience and are prepared for those risks,” she said.

According to Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Mexico is currently only a level-two risk country on a scale of one to four, and visitors are instructed to exercise a high degree of caution.

Micki Cowan — The Ubyssey (University of British Columbia)

After three years of conflict and more than $450,000 in legal fees, the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) has officially left the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS).

The membership issue goes back to 2008, when 66.9 per cent of SFU students voted to leave the CFS. The CFS, which is the largest student lobbying organization in Canada, contested the referendum’s legitimacy, and the SFSS has been dealing with a series of legal disputes ever since.

Although a court date had been set for Feb. 12 for a lengthy and expensive trial that was expected to last approximately six weeks, the dispute was settled out of court in late December. Both parties released a short statement that described the settlement as “amicable.”

“As part of this resolution, it is agreed that the membership has ended,” the statement read. “The agreement was motivated by a desire on the part of all parties to resolve all outstanding issues.”

It further stated that neither party would make any public statements regarding the settlement. There was no mention made of the amount of the settlement.

B.C. Supreme Court judge Richard Blair, in an official court document released in August 2010, explained that he was unable to reach a conclusion about the case at that time, citing an overwhelming amount of evidence. Blair advised that either a second referendum be conducted, or that the dispute should be settled out of court, as either option would be more financially feasible than going to trial in February.

David Dyck — The Peak (Simon Fraser University)

A Saskatchewan lawyer said on Monday that he will file a C$15.4 billion ($15 billion) class action lawsuit against the Canadian government over the dismantling of the Wheat Board’s grain marketing monopoly.

But Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz called the proposed legal action “baseless” and said it would not affect Ottawa’s moves to overhaul the Wheat Board and create an open grain market in Western Canada.

Lawyer Tony Merchant said the government must pay western farmers for the Canadian Wheat Board’s assets, which he said include C$100 million in cash, 3,402 rail hopper cars, Great Lakes freighters, an office building and other assets.

In addition, Merchant said in an interview, Ottawa should also pay compensation for the value of the CWB itself and the value of its marketing monopoly - including the premium prices some say it gets for grain and savings on transportation costs. “(The government) can do whatever they like, but when they take away assets, then they have to pay,” Merchant said.

He said the Conservative government must compensate farmers for what they are losing, similar to how the former Liberal government paid farmers for removing a grain transportation subsidy in the 1990s.

The move is the latest of several legal entanglements around the government’s move to end the world’s last major agricultural monopoly, which has sharply divided farmers.

Reuters

Organised crime has tightened its grip on the Italian economy during the economic crisis, making the Mafia the country’s biggest “bank” and squeezing the life out of thousands of small firms, according to a report on Tuesday.

Extortionate lending by criminal groups had become a “national emergency,” said the report by anti-crime group SOS Impresa.

Organised crime now generated annual turnover of about 140 billion euros ($178.89 billion) and profits of more than 100 billion euros, it added.

“With 65 billion euros in liquidity, the Mafia is Italy’s number one bank,” said a statement from the group, which was set up in Palermo a decade ago to oppose extortion rackets against small business.

Organised crime groups like the Sicilian Cosa Nostra, the Naples Camorra or the Calabrian ‘Ndrangheta have long had a stranglehold on the Italian economy, generating profits equivalent to about 7 percent of national output.

Extortionate lending had become an increasingly sophisticated and lucrative source of income, alongside drug trafficking, arms smuggling, prostitution, gambling and racketeering, the report said.

“The classic neighborhood or street loan shark is on the way out, giving way to organised loan-sharking that is well connected with professional circles and operates with the connivance of high-level professionals,” the report said.

It estimated about 200,000 businesses were tied to extortionate lenders and tens of thousands of jobs had been lost as a result.

Reuters

A legislator quit Canada’s main opposition New Democrats on Tuesday, adding to the problems of a left-leaning party that has failed to impress since a record-breaking performance in the May 2011 election.

Lise St-Denis, a parliamentarian from Quebec, said she was defecting to the centrist Liberals because she preferred the Liberal positions on the economy and the environment.

“I couldn’t sit there for three years and listen to options I didn’t agree with,” St-Denis told a news conference.

The Liberals slumped to a dismal third place in last year’s election, losing ground to the New Democrats across the country. That split in the left-of center vote allowed the right-leaning Conservatives to win the election with a majority that guarantees they will stay in power until October 2015.

Political commentators have long argued that the New Democrats and Liberals need to merge to have a chance of beating the Conservatives. But interim Liberal leader Bob Rae said St-Denis’s defection showed why such talk was problematic.

“It shows you have a choice between a party which has values as well as a pragmatic approach ... and a party which is more ideological,” he told the news conference.

Inspired by former leader Jack Layton, the New Democrats trounced the Liberals in the May 2011 election to become the largest opposition party for the first time, helped by a breakthrough in French-speaking province Quebec.

Reuters

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2012

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5

NEWS

Sixty-three per cent vote yes in SUB mortgage referendum joe johnson

THE CASCADE

Early last month the Student Union Society (SUS) held a referendum on whether the student body would approve a $10 million mortgage in order to greenlight the Student Union Building (SUB). The results have been tallied: it’s a resounding “yes” vote for the SUS’s proposed SUB. They now have a mandate to move forward in providing a building specifically designed for students. A feature of having a mortgage will stipulate that the building will partially be owned by the SUS, and not leased.

Through the myUFV website, 950 students took part in the referendum vote. The “yes” count claimed 599 of the ballots cast, leaving the “no” tally at 351.

Roughly, 63 per cent of students who participated voted in favour of obtaining a mortgage to make up for the shortfall in funds that the SUS faced. According to Jhim Burwell, the SUS communications administrator, “the percentage of people voting in favor of us having the mortgage is actually a stronger mandate than what we got for the original referendum for the SUB building. So it looks like, to me anyways, that there’s greater support out there for the Student Union Building now that they’ve sort of seen what we’re planning, seen what it’s going to look like.”

In the two weeks prior to the vote, there were familiar SUS representatives in the halls discussing the referendum and the SUB building with students. This was when the campaign was in full swing, and SUS was eager to get pertinent information to students. Burwell commented, “The canvassing effort that we did for the referendum was based entirely on getting people informed so that they could make an informed vote. We had people out on the campus doing street teams, shaking hands, handing out handbills, and always always always directing students to do the research online that we provided.”

Some students also provided a counter voice and wary opinion of the SUB. One factor being discussed was that the accumulated interest on the mortgage, at an estimated 4.25 per cent fixed for five years, would be considerable and that the building could be built for less and potentially with a shorter repayment period than 25 years. Carlos Vidal, SUS President answered that claim, “I think our building is a very fair cost for our school. If you look at the costs, not to say that our school is exactly the same as other schools, but if you were to look and compare with other schools, we’re being fairly frugal with our money and frugal on our costs of the building, when you look at another school who’s paying $100 million dollars on their building.”

“Right upstairs you’re going to have CIVL who’s going to have lots of cool events and music,” he said. “And right next door you’re going to have AfterMath who’s going to be open all the time and we’re going to have places for underage, and of-age, students.”

Today, with the referendum now past, there are actually two aspects that must be ironed out before construction commences.

The SUS must consider the specifics with the university and finalize mortgage details with the financier.

On the university front, according to Burwell, “the university and the student union are working out an actual lease based on the fact that the land that the building is going to be built on is crown land that’s given to the university itself, and we’re going to own a building on land that we can’t own, things like that. But all that’s going to be worked out in the lease agreement.”

But the big agreement will be the one with the mortgage company. The contract will most likely be with Envision, since it’s the one institution, among those vetted, that can provide for the building’s needs. As negotiations have been underway, Vidal noted

Image: SUS “This referendum needed to be approved before we could take the next steps in providing some information to the financial institution we’re using for the mortgage. Then we’re going to have another meeting with them to finalize the mortgage and sign it off. But we’re fairly close to that.”

The target date for starting the construction has remained that same, said Vidal, “We’re still shooting for that goal to break ground between April and June depending on how quick things go. And have a celebration to break ground, and then start the construction and get everybody excited about the building.” With an expected opening in Fall 2013, this will leave a period of a year and a half for the building to be completed.

What will probably be of most interest to students, however, is what this building will actually resemble. Originally, it covered a greater area than the empty, and waiting, lot over by the current

AfterMath location. But to preserve the trees and green area, it was shortened with a third floor being added.

With the SUB, Vidal envisions “people hanging out in there, people walking around. This is going to be a place with a lot of energy.” He also described what would be inside. “Right upstairs you’re going to have CIVL who’s going to have lots of cool events and music,” he said. “And right next door you’re going to have AfterMath who’s going to be open all the time and we’re going to have places for underage, and ofage, students.” There will also be lounge rooms for playing video games, playing pool, and just hanging out. Other student centric bodies will be moving in as well, such as The Cascade and Student Life. Potentially there will be a few shops, such as a used bookstore, or even having some health and dental services. And there will be a multipurpose room for more frequent indoor events. Vi-

dal pointed out that there will be “a really cool glass part of AfterMath where people can look through a window right down into the multipurpose room now.

And if there is a concert or event going on there, people could… look into and see the event and see things going on.”

Finally, Vidal spoke on the referendum process as a whole, “I think a lot of students were taking the initiative to get answers and get question from us directly about this, which was great because we get a chance to interact with the students and let them know why we’re doing things, what we’re trying to do in their best interest. So when students have questions, when they want to know the reason behind this, we really try to be open and available. We don’t have anything to hide; we really try to be open and tell students how things are and give them the freedom to base on the real information… their decision.”

What do you think about the SUB? Comment online at ufvcascade.ca

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

OPINION

Merry Christmas, Kim Jong-Il ALEXEI SUMMERS THE CASCADE

North Korean leader Kim JongIl made international headlines this holiday season by passing away. According to state television the ‘Dear leader” suffered a myocardial infarction on December 17, brought on by stress and exhaustion. He allegedly died at the age of 70 in his presidential train.

Kim Jong-Il was heavily criticized throughout his rule as being one of the most brutal dictators of all time, following in the tradition of Josef Stalin. Since he took leadership in 1994, there have been mass allegations in the political world of massive human rights violations in North Korea. He is accepted outside of North Korea as being the reason for starvation and widespread famine within his country, by allocating most of the nation’s finances toward the military instead of the welfare of his people. The Korean People’s Army is a fantastic force of over one million soldiers, making it the fourth largest army in the world, and because of the Cult of Personality surrounding the “eternal president” Kim Il-Sung and the “dear leader” Kim Jong-Il, it also makes it the most dedicated.

Kim Jong-Il inherited the tiny

secluded hermit nation from his father Kim Il-Sung, who led a communist revolt backed by Stalin against UN Forces in the 1950s.

The Korean War never ended, but rather a ceasefire was called, and the nation of Korea was divided in two along the 38th Parallel – the communists taking the North, and the Capitalists taking the South.

The two mile stretch of land that is the border between the two Koreas is called the Demilitarized Zone. It is the most heavily militarized zone in the world: one million landmines have been laid in it over time (most of which are still active), and American as well as North and South Korean guards patrol it at all times during the day.

This is the last surviving front of the Cold War. Kim Jong-Il was well known for ruling his nation with an iron fist, and for relentlessly bullying his neighbours to the South. In November of last year, he threatened to turn Seoul, the capital of South Korea into a “sea of fire,” after an exchange of missiles between a disputed sea border. According to UN Forces, in launching missiles at the tiny island of Yeonpeong, North Korea violated the 1953 Armistice Treaty that declared an official ceasefire between the two nations. There

have been many minor skirmishes between NATO and North Korean People’s Army forces between 1953 and now, but this was by far the closest that the two forces have come to removing the ceasefire and resuming full-scale warfare as it was in 1953. In the end, Six Power Talks followed the incident and despite the political sabre-rattling, cooler heads prevailed and a nuclear war was avoided – but this serves as an example of Kim JongIl’s style of dictatorship.

North Korea itself is a tiny island nation frozen in time – a time where the USSR was dedicated to spreading communism. Its technology is limited and frozen in the 1950s. The nation has cut itself off from the rest of the world, and (with the dissolution of the Soviet Union) has in recent times become mostly self-reliant, with only a little bit of help from China. Still bitter about The Korean War, North Korea has showed no cessation of hostilities against America or Japan, and resources have continued to pour into the army rather than North Korea’s infrastructure or economy.

It is unsurprising, then, that North Korea has a developing ICBM program. While this is dated technology to the rest of the world, if Korea ever pos-

sesses an intercontinental atomic bomb, it could fire upon its worst enemies—namely, North America—at any given time. Although the ICBM is a ways off yet, North Korea does, however, possess a large stockpile of medium-range ballistic missiles, most of which are aimed at South Korea and Japan. Under Kim Jong-Il, the hermit nation made it no secret that it was developing nuclear weapons, openly performing nuclear tests for the entire world to see.

His son—28-year-old Kim JongUn—is rumoured to be set to take over his father’s position as leader of the party, but many political scientists have questioned whether or not we will truly see Kim Jong-Un rise to power, or if we will instead witness a military coup-de-tat.

“I’m not happy about Kim Jong Il’s death because I’m worried about what’s next to come,” said UFV Student of South Korean birth, Luke Hyunsu Kim. “Since Kim Jong Il is dead, there is a high chance that Kim Jong-Un will take his place. Assuming that he has the same understanding and view of the world as his father, I’m worried about what will happen in a year or even in a few months.”

With yet another unpredictable madman at the wheel in control of nuclear launch codes, if not all

goes well, we could very well be looking at the blossoming of a nuclear conflict, the resuming of the Korean War, and the possible start of a third world war.

Ryan Bae, also of South Korean birth and former resident of Abbotsford, is now a student at Columbia University in New York.

“It scares me, the thought of what might happen,” he admits. “But this might also be a chance for things to get better. We might end up seeing some ease of tension between the two nations. This might usher in a new era of peace.”

The fact is, nobody knows what will happen with the situation in North Korea. So little is known about Kim Jong-Un except that he is very much like his father in almost every way. It has also been theorized that due to Kim JongUn’s age, and inexperience, Chang Sung-taek, the brother in law of the late North Korean ruler may take over as acting leader until Kim Jong-Un is properly groomed for the role as the chairman, and supreme leader of the party.

Either way, the world has no choice but to hold its breath and see what happens. The death of Kim Jong-Il might just be the Christmas present North Korea has been waiting for since 1994.

Time is life in the handling of Syria Trusting science and the loss of the Brontosaurus

JOE JOHNSON THE CASCADE

There is still no relief for the people of Syria. Their plight is one of life and death and it seems that providing serious help is always just out of reach. It doesn’t have to be this way.

I was willing to give time to watch a resolution come from the international community, but now I’ve become scathingly critical of it. It has now proved itself to be utterly inadequate in preventing President Bashar Al-Assad from viciously hammering down on his people.

The Arab Spring uprising has made its way to Syria. The people want a better country – a more democratic and free place to live. Assad, however, is not willing to see his regime fall, and as a result the death toll has reached in excess of 5000 in nine months. This should be enough for any international body to act in protection of human rights.

In all fairness, this is not a simple issue. Syria is a very contentious country to deal with. The problems are much more serious than in they were in Libya, and it’s not so simple for NATO to provide military aid.

Syria is a regional fault line in keeping stability, and repercussions could lead to a bloody civil war – but more still needs to be done for safety of the people.

My criticism of the international community in Syria’s case stems from both inaction and incompetence. The two major players in trying to bring resolution to Syria are the United Nations and the Arab League.

The UN is staggeringly cumbersome in action because of the politics involved: Western countries currently don’t have the desire to bring military forces to either remove Assad, or provide protection for the people.

The preferred course of action is to increase economic sanctions, a method which can be effective, and

ANTHONY BIONDI THE CASCADE

we will most likely see more of this going forward. However, this is just too slow as tens of people are killed daily.

Things are further complicated when, at the 15 member Security Council, Eastern countries can’t agree with the Western countries in placing blame. Russia and China, in particular, are the two biggest culprits in continuing UN stagnation.

There was hope last month that this may be resolving itself, as Russia announced that it was putting together a draft proposal which would see it moving closer to upping the pressure. Unfortunately, that proposal has now proved to lack any real teeth, and unsurprisingly, China has backed it.

The cynic in me wants to put this on Russian business interests.

The Moscow Times reports there is nearly $20 billion invested in Syrian infrastructure, energy and tourism.

With the inaction of the UN, this leaves the Arab League to provide the needed measures. The league, composed of 22 nations, is an organization of North African and the Middle Eastern states, and is designed to provide stability between the countries. Syria, one of the nations in the league, was suspended last November as part of increased pressure on the Assad regime.

The league, to its credit, has made some progress and actually managed to get Assad to sign onto a peace plan. This plan would have Syrian military leave the city centres, allow

citizens to demonstrate, and see the release of protestors. To make sure that this actually happens, 100 Arab League monitors were dispatched to the state a couple of weeks ago.

But this is where the incompetence comes in: Assad has been trying to control what the monitors see. Their routes are pre-planned, and they’re shielded from what’s going on. It seems the monitors may be aware of and trying to circumvent this, and they’ve begun redirecting their routes. However, hypocrisy continues to pour from their mouths. While noting snipers are still visible, the Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi complimented the monitors’ work upon seeing the release of prisoners.

But the bloodshed has not stopped. It’s reported that since the monitors arrived, there have still been hundreds of deaths. An advisory panel to the league has actually suggested the monitors leave if the violence continues.

Finally, the monitors have now admitted they’ve made mistakes.

This type of overseeing a peace plan is a first for the league, and now they are in talks with the UN for assistance. The monitors’ report should be released near the end of the month.

The UN’s sanctions and the Arab League’s peace plan both need to be enforced, as well as given time, to be effective. But there are people’s lives at stake every single day – and in Syria, time is life.

Dinosaurs died out 65 million years ago, but the Brontosaurus was not among those that became extinct. What happened to the poor creature anyway? Did it live on in the jungles of Africa, occasionally seen by its natives? Did it evolve into a sub aquatic creature that occasionally terrorizes the folk in Scotland? Nope. The Brontosaurus didn’t die out, because it never existed in the first place.

When I was a child the movie Jurassic Park drew my attention to the vast world of dinosaurs. To put it simply I became obsessed. Among the vast trove of confusing dinosaur names swimming in my 10 year old head, there was the Brontosaurus. But at one point in my youth I was informed that it had been renamed to Apatosaurus. Why? I wondered. It wasn’t until years later that I discovered the truth.

Brontosaurus had never existed.

Apparently a man by the name of Othniel Charles Marsh, a paleontologist in the early 1900s, was racing to discover more species than a rival paleontologist by the name of Edward Drinker Cope. This resulted in what I would call “fudged science.” Marsh announced the Brontosaurus as a new species, despite its skeleton being that of a young Apatosaur with some other dinosaur’s skull on it. The completeness of the lie was not even uncovered until the 1970s, over half a decade since the Brontosaurus’s “discovery”.

One has to wonder then, if sheer competition could lead to fudged science what other lies are being told to us? The Brontosaurus could only be the beginning. Around the same time another hoax of a similar nature was perpetrated. Some may

recall the famous Piltdown man from the early 1900s – the false discovery of a species of early man. The discovery included a skull with an odd jaw. It was revealed as a hoax some decades later when it was found to be merely a human skull with an orangutan’s jawbone. Thankfully, this false discovery didn’t take as long to uncover as the Brontosaurus.

If it had, it may have thrown off all our perceptions of human evolution.

And this trend of false science isn’t exclusively a thing of the past.

In 2007 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (the IPCC) published a study on the effects of global warming on the glaciers in the Himalayas. It was claimed that the glaciers will be depleted by global warming by 2035. A few years later, one of the scientists on the IPCC research team came forward in an interview with The Daily Mail UK to admit the falsity of the results. It states in The Daily Mail article that the study came up with false results – in order to put pressure on political leaders to take action against global warming.

When I read things like this I begin to wonder: how much science can we believe? As a man who has spent much of his time taking interest in biology and paleontology, I want to put faith in science. I just don’t know how many more brontosaurus-esque tales I can hear about before that faith starts to dwindle.

It’s ultimately important to review facts, and make sure that what you know is the truth. Perhaps in this day and age, we need to investigate what is said to us more often.

In this age of hoaxes, perhaps it is now the audience’s responsibility to put more effort in to getting it right.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11 , 2012

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Holiday downers: Brand, Perry, and eggnog call it quits.

DESSA BAYROCK THE CASCADE

I’m the first to admit that celebrity culture is overrated, but whether we like it or not, musicians and actors help set the standard for what is socially acceptable. There are some stars we can only hope have less influence than others (I’m thinking especially of any Teen Mom episode), but all in all, celebrities can’t help but be considered role models. Think of any standard tween room, plastered with the Biebs’ signature swoosh or Taylor Swift’s shy grin. Every kid, at some point, wants to be a rock star.

These are the people they look up to.

For the most part I am completely okay with this: secretly I harbour dreams of becoming Ryan Gosling’s best friend and playing in Taylor Swift’s backup band. I believe, however, that celebrity culture, as a whole, moves kind of like a flock of birds – no one celebrity has the power to influence in particular, but the motions they make as a group certainly do.

To stop beating around the bush, Katy Perry and Russell Brand filed for divorce this Christmas season, after just fourteen months of marriage. Divorce in the celebrity world is hardly anything new, but for some reason Brand and Perry’s split hit me particularly hard.

They’ve always been a bit of an unlikely couple, but always completely committed to making it work:

as Brand told Ellen DeGeneres just this past December, “I am married to Katy perpetually. Until death do us part was the pledge. I am still alive.” Yet, citing “irreconcilable differences” (a vague excuse if I’ve ever heard one), the two parted ways by the end of that same month.

Hanging Brand and Perry out to dry might seem unfair, especially since I don’t hold Kim Kardashian (whose marriage lasted a mere 72 days) up to the same moral measuring stick—but I expected this from Kardashian. Katy, Russell—I’m frankly disappointed in you.

In short, marriage used to mean something. Considering soaring divorce rates, I guess it was naïve of me to think it still should, especially on a celebrity level. Maybe permanency is out-dated and old-fashioned, but putting less than or barely a year into a marriage just seems like a joke.

I understand that relationships go south all the time, but the point of marrying someone is committing to work through the sour parts. It seems downright lazy not to.

Like I said, it might be unfair to hold any celebrity up to that standard, and maybe I should thank

THE CASCADE

It’s a sad time to be a music fan – at least one that still consumes something as apparently outdated as CDs. On a recent visit to the doomed Robson Street HMV, I was seeing a lot more yellow and red than I’m comfortable with. The store, due to close late January, boasted sale prices of up to 50 per cent off – advertised by individuals like a young man standing outside with a sign telling the world his employer was closing down. At least he seemed to handle his job with aplomb. “Big sales!” he urged passers-by. You hear that, Vancouver? Everything. Must. Go. I suppose it was inevitable. It’s just hard to swallow the finality of such a circumstance. No more teetering on the edge of worry over the future of our friend the compact disc. No, this is the cold hard truth. Call in for the last rites. The CD is officially dying and I for one am beginning to feel the grieving process setting in.

Sixty employees—my new buddy Sign Guy included—will be affected by the shut down, as well as countless Vancouverites who avoided the switch to mp3 and relied on the 50,000 square foot giant for their film and music needs. On a slightly more local scale, I myself will also be affected by this change, as well as numerous acquaintances and friends who I know are just not quite ready to say goodbye yet. Was it really necessary, HMV, to add yet another blow to my ever decreasing sense of familiarity and to the raging nostalgic inside?

The factors playing into the shutdown involve overall CD sales and

that everpresent dilemma of rent in Vancouver.

It’s simply too expensive to keep the store running at such high prices – worsened by the fact that consumers are just not buying CDs anymore. “It’s regretful, really,” states president of HMV Canada Nick Williams in an interview with The Vancouver Sun. “The last thing that we want to do is leave Vancouver’s downtown... but a store of that magnitude unfortunately does not fit into our long-term real estate strategy.”

Even prestigious companies like Britain’s Royal Warranted Linn Products (a company that manufactures CD players) is to halt production on music players due to the decline of the disc and the rise of digital media – a quick and convenient threat to a “clunkier” model that also poses a significantly higher price tag.

The death of the CD, it seems, is yet another casualty of our increasingly swift dash towards Tomorrowland, and I admit I am not surprised by its demise. A recent poll cited in The Vancouver Sun states that 30 per cent of Canadian music consumers prefer to shop for their tunes online.

It’s too bad that the CD is being subjected to such a slow, painful death. Maybe it’s the golden age ide-

New year, new challenge JAMES INGLIS CONTRIBUTOR

them for contributing to the 30 per cent of marriages that don’t make it, so us everyday people can be part of the 70 per cent who do. On the other hand, might it be fair to blame our constantly divorcing and remarrying celebrity role models for the skyrocketing divorce rate in the first place?

All in all, maybe I’ve just been reading too many issues of US weekly and People Magazine in the break room at work, but Perry and Brand’s divorce was the downer of my holiday season. In the same way eggnog disappears from store shelves in the post-holiday wind-down, nothing lasts forever any more, no matter how unwilling I am to let it go.

The death of the CD LEANNA PANKRATZ

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Image: Accius & co/Flickr

alist in me, but I’m feeling slightly more than melancholic at the fact that such an integral object of my childhood, is gradually being cycled out into a kind of corporate oblivion.

Is this how previous generations felt when vinyl went out of style? I suppose it’s only a matter of time before the hipsters of the future adopt the CD as an ironically quirky expression of cultural savvy. As cute as it is to be retro, I truly am going to miss the days of earnest CD revelry.

We ‘90s kids are unique in that we caught the tail end of the analog era – a lifestyle ingrained into our early childhood memories, only to be snuffed out by the heavy feet of an earth lumbering towards a mechanical age. It’s only a CD, I know, but its discontinuation signifies the death of one more facet of my fleeting youth, and arguably, one last tie to a non-digital world. Consider this an obituary to the Compact Disc. May my little friend rest in peace.

It’s that time of year again. The time when columnists wax poetic about new year’s resolutions, but since it’s the second week of the new year who really cares now?

Raise your hand if you still have a resolution you haven’t broken. You there at the back, yes, put your hand down; we all know you’re lying.

I’ve decided to do something different and start the year by undertaking an in-depth examination of a major issue confronting our society today. In the manner of the great writers such as George Plimpton and Hunter S. Thompson I decided to live what I’m writing about so I can really experience the moment. At great personal risk to my self-esteem I decided to explore the dangerous world of “men’s grooming,” or “men’s grooming technology,” as some of the companies like to call it. In the beginning I experienced dread and apprehension. I felt emotions similar to what I imagine Stanley must have felt as he began his dangerous journey into the unknown in search of Dr. Livingstone. (Oh, just Google him.)

I’m from the latter end of the baby boomer generation, so when I became a “man”, grooming (for the dapper) consisted of a daily shower, soap, razor and a comb. Job done. If a man wanted aftershave it was “English Leather”,” Old Spice” or, for the truly adventurous, “Brut.” If you couldn’t pick it up it at the grocery store it wasn’t worth buying. No man wanted to risk smelling like a he’d been in a French bordello. (For the record, I have no idea what a French bordello smells like, but if you have personal experience please drop me a line.)

Back to the present-day grooming world, during my in-the-trenches research I found societal expectations of men’s grooming in the 21st century was even more extreme than I had envisioned. There is now actually a “men’s grooming” industry. Who knew? And it brings in big money.

In Germany, in 2010, Germans (and reportedly some very strange looking French men) spent 503.91 million euros on male grooming. If that was converted into actual real money that would probably be equivalent to lots and lots. Did you know that there are ‘Men’s Spas”? They do “malespecific treatments”. I shudder at the thought. I’m sorry Mr. Plimpton, but I will not go to a men’s spa. I have standards. They are admittedly very low, but nevertheless – I have them.

I discovered, upon visiting the men’s magazine section of a store where my generation originally found “girlie” magazines, that men can now purchase such titles as Men’s Health, Details, Esquire, GQ, Debonair Magazine and Men’s Vogue.

Esquire of course has been around for years, but this isn’t the magazine of Ernest Hemingway (who was the quintessential real man of my generation with his articles on killing things) any longer. No. This is the magazine of articles such as “Wanna Be a Levi’s Model? Get on Instagram” and “How to Dress for Parties”. Have you looked at the ads in the modern men’s magazine?

Why are the men all hairless? Is this the expected norm? Did someone just forget to send me the memo?

After some soul-searching I decided this was something I could experience for the good of the column.

After all, in theory my hair would grow back. Do you now how many products exist for removing a man’s body hair? There’s a whole bunch.

After careful research (which was the cheapest?) I purchased a tube of the stuff and took it home to try it out. I’m not the hairiest of men and, being of the wider body type persuasion, what body hair I do have tends to be spread over a larger surface area than most men’s. Once home, and keeping to the warnings to keep the cream away from many sensitive manly bits, I applied the cream to my chest. While my chest hair may be sparse, what it lacks in volume it more than makes up for in length.

As directed I applied the cream with the included sponge and waited for five minutes (no less than two and no more than 10) before entering the shower for the next step. Now using the rough side of the supplied foam pad I wiped down the area that had the cream and to my surprise hair started to wipe away. Whether it was the product or me, the hair didn’t come off uniformly. I’m guessing that “thick layer of cream” must mean something different to the manufacturer than it does to me. I was left with naked patches of skin surrounded by seemingly random areas of hair tufts. I’m sure this was not the look I saw in the men’s magazines. I repeated the process over the course of three days but never managed to remove all the chest hair.

Of course, there are loads of other new men’s grooming products on the store shelves, “eyelid rejuvenation roll on” for example. I didn’t know my eyelids needed to be rejuvenated. Researching this column provides information I didn’t know I needed to know. Just so the rest of the man doesn’t get jealous of the eyelids, companies have created solutions for sensitive skin, rough skin, tired skin, and skin that isn’t tired yet, but might be in a few minutes.

I chose not to try those products out.

There is only so much I am willing to do for a column. My skin was still red from the chest hair removal. I purchased pre-shave balm, postshave, body wash and man shampoo. Let me say again there are limits to my explorations so I took the safe route and whenever possible chose “Old Spice”, because to paraphrase the commercial we are all familiar with, I may not look like a fit, muscular man, but I can smell like one.

So, what did I learn? It’s time consuming to be a modern man. My own morning ablutions went from 20 minutes to 50. My wife didn’t notice anything different about me, although apparently I smell better now. I’m sure that was meant as a compliment. I never mentioned the chest hair removal attempt, but I’m thinking she might have noticed, as I’m sure I heard one or two stifled chuckles coming from the bed as I undressed, although I can’t be sure it was my newly mostly nude chest that caused them. I guess that research will have to wait for another column.

Back to the 20th century for me.

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

ARTS & LIFE

CROSSWORD 1

Heart of the City ACROSS

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1. Australian capital. (8 letters) 4. Ukrainian capital. (4 letters) 5. Birthplace of actor Jay Baruchel (8 letters).

8. Setting of Ivan Reitman’s 1986 movie, Groundhog Day. (12 letters) 12. Joyce’s Ulysses chronicles the journey of Leopold Bloom through this city.

(6 letters) 13. Setting of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. (7 letters) 14. Fictional setting of Parks and Recreation. (6 letters).

15. The Gateway to the West. (5 letters, 5 letters)

DOWN

2. Chinese capital and location of Tiananmen Square. (7 letters) 3. Site of the largest library of the ancient world. (10 letters) 6. Its fabled founder Romulus killed his twin before completing the Eternal City.

7. Final track from the Replacements’ 1981 record: “______ in the City”.

(6 letters) 9. Chilean capital. (8 letters) 10. Birthplace of jazz; the Big Easy. (3 letters, 7 letters) 11. Joan of Arc was nicknamed “The Maid of ______,” this French city. (7 letters)

Nick Ubels

THE CASCADE

LAST WEEK’S Answer Key Across 1. Rabbit 3. Architect 10. Disco 11. Jaws 12. Deerhunter 13. Marseille Down 1.

2.

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5.

6.

7.

9.

Rocky Taxi Driver Frog Legs Network Napalm Deliverance Chinatown

15 EclipseCrossword.com

Aquarius: Jan 20 - Feb 18 Don’t worry, 2012 is not the end of the world. However, you are going to die in a freak goating accident this year.

Pisces: Feb 19 - March 20 Be wary of the radio station. There’s seems to be a CIVL war brewing in Building C.

Aries: March 21 - April 19 I don’t suggest you marry the night. Perhaps elope with the morning.

The Weekly Horoscope Gemini: May 21 - June 21

Libra: Sept 23 - Oct 22

You can try wishing upon a star.

But that waitlist isn’t getting any smaller.

You will have a yabadabadoo time with all stone-age families this week.

Cancer: June 22 - July 22 Venus is in the house of Mars.

You may want to stay away, they’re getting scrappy.

Scorpio: Oct 23 - Nov 21 Stop drinking caffeine. Your planet full of virgins depends on it.

Leo: July 23 - Aug 22

Sagittarius: Nov 22 - Dec 21

Stephen Harper is f***ing your mom!

Buried deep under UFV resides the Philosopher’s Stone. It is your destiny to retrieve it.

Taurus: April 20 - May 20

Virgo: Aug 23 - Sept 22

It’s time to resolve to break your New Year’s resolutions.

The Itsy Bitsy Spider says: “For the love of god, don’t climb up the damned drain spout again!”

Visit us at www.monktucky.com!

Star Signs from the Sumas Sibyl

Capricorn: Dec 22 - Jan 19 Make a stand. Don’t tolerate the intolerant.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

www.ufvcascade.ca

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ARTS & LIFE

Dine & Dash: Iron Chef (Sushi Ichi) Japanese Restaurant 9145 Glover Road Fort Langley, BC 604.881.0168 Hours: Monday: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Tuesday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Friday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday 12:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Closed Sunday Prices: up to $16.99 (not including combos)

AMY VAN VEEN

THE CASCADE

There are many restaurants to choose from along Fort Langley’s historic main drag – lounges, bistros, diners and coffee shops, but what would it be without that Fraser Valley staple of anything sushi?

Japanese restaurants rival Starbucks in their popularity and tendency to be found around every corner. The Fort, then, is no exception with two sushi places in its small two-street “downtown.”

The Iron Chef (Sushi Ichi) Japanese Restaurant is located beside the landmark that can be found in every TV movie that no one watches – the Fort Langley Community Hall.

Iron Chef—the restaurant, not the TV show—offers patrons quality sushi at incredibly affordable prices. The rolls, cones and sashimi don’t go higher than $8.99 and that includes those specialty rolls

that, at other places, often begin at $8.99. They are also one of those sushi places that offers non-sushi options for those who get pulled along to the restaurant but aren’t brave enough to dive into seaweed and salmon skin. Among the Western menu options are a BLT sandwich, French fries and, most interestingly, bacon. Just bacon. Any place that sells bacon on its own is a place that deserves to be named.

For those who are bubble tea fans, this place has no shortage of options including milky, red/ green and slush with at least a dozen flavours for each.

For my lunch order, I tried the Hawaiian roll (essentially a dynamite with pieces of pineapple) and the Langley roll (California with bits of tempura and cucumber rolled up in it). The ingredients were quality and the rice had the perfect consistency – not too sticky and not too dry. The Hawaiian roll, too, had an unexpectedly refreshing flavour with the inclusion of the pineapple. However, the thickness of each piece made consumption a little more difficult. Though it looked like there were many pieces within one roll, it caused each piece to inevitably fall apart right after I picked it up with my chopsticks – not exactly the most graceful of sushi experiences.

The layout of the restaurant—an L-shape instead of one big room—

allowed for more private tables against either the wall or the window and the service was prompt, amiable and knowledgeable with quick responses to any questions regarding the menu and the ingredients.

The Cascade Cookbook Amy Van Veen’s Bacon-Wrapped Pesto Chicken

Amy Van Veen is the arts & life editor of The Cascade and spends as much free time as she can cooking and watching television, often simultaneously.

The only downside about the atmosphere, which had nothing to do with the restaurant itself, was the prevalence of teenagers who hit it up during their lunch break from the school down the road.

Some teenagers seem to think they

Image: Amy Van Veen/ The Cascade can be as loud as they want with their conversations about less than riveting topics, so I would suggest choosing your lunch time strategically or going for dinner.

Drink o’ the Week: New Yorker

“Cooking is fairly easy once you get the basics down: make sure all the chicken meat is no longer pink and don’t be afraid to try something different – if it’s horrible, there’s always grilled cheese.”

Ingredients: Basil (fresh or dried) Garlic (cloves or salt) Olive oil Pine nuts or almonds Feta or parmesan 2 boneless chicken breasts 6-8 slices of bacon Salt and pepper First, make the pesto. Pesto is an incredibly easy sauce to whip up as long as you have the ingredients – of which there are few.

Throw pine nuts or almonds into a medium-hot frying pan and toss them around until they’re slightly browned. If you have a small food processor, it makes the mixing step a little easier, but you can always use a large chef knife to chop up Amy Van Veen Image by Anthony Biondi the nuts – just make sure you don’t burn or slice off your fingertips.

Mix together a palm-full of chopped nuts, a heaping palm-full of basil, one pressed garlic clove or a dash of garlic salt and about a tablespoon of olive oil to start. Add more olive oil until you get a paste-like consistency and add more or less garlic to taste.

Next, butterfly the chicken. (This part can be really fun if you’re feeling a little stressed.) With the chicken breast on a cutting board in front of you, slowly slice two-thirds of the way through the middle with your knife parallel to the board, and then open the piece of chicken like a book. Take enough plastic wrap or wax paper to allow for about an inch on every side of the chicken, and grab a cold frying pan. With the bottom of the frying pan, smash the chicken to tenderize it and make it easier to roll up.

Divide the pesto mixture between each butterflied chicken breast, then add some salt and pepper for extra flavour and sprinkle as much parmesan or feta as desired. Roll up each chicken breast and hold it in place with three or four toothpicks (remember how many you use so you know how many to take out later).

Wrap each piece of rolled chicken with three to four slices of bacon (or more if you really love bacon), place in a baking dish and put in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes (or until chicken is no longer pink). Don’t worry about adding extra olive oil because the grease from the bacon keeps the chicken moist.

As a side, you could do salad, or chop up a couple of potatoes, drizzle with olive oil, garlic salt and a collection of herbs such as basil, dill, thyme and rosemary and roast alongside the chicken until they’re crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.

Estimated cost: $15

A classic drink for whiskey lovers that tastes like a sweet and sour bourbon lemonade.

1½ oz bourbon 3/4 oz lemon juice 2 tsp grenadine Pour bourbon, lemon juice and grenadine into a shaker. Fill with ice cubes and shake. Pour into a cocktail glass. *Optional: Lemon juice is often substituted with lime.

Ideal for: Conversational evenings Bad for: Light drinkers On the Cascade scale: A-

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

FEATURE

An undeniably Canadian experience: four days in Lake Louise

ALI SIEMENS

THE CASCADE

Cash-strapped students like me are all-too familiar with the ongoing battle between paying for tuition and paying for travel. I have personally had the strong desire to pack up my belongings and go explore different parts of the world on numerous occasions. Perhaps this desire would explain my spontaneous reaction to take the opportunity to spend four days and three nights experiencing beautiful British Columbia, more specifically, the Rocky Mountains and Lake Louise with West Trek Tours.

I was contacted by West Trek Tours on a Tuesday and left on a coach bus two days later, headed to Lake Louise.

I haven’t done a lot of travelling in my life, and more notably, I haven’t done much travelling in my own country.

I had heard from friends and family that the Banff and Lake Louise area is absolutely breath taking, but to be honest, all I could think about was how the weather forecast put temperatures below zero. Nonetheless, I was excited and kind of nervous to be leaving in the middle of my exam period for a mini vacation.

One of the greatest things about travelling anywhere is the people you meet along the way. Lee Henderson, who is described as the “Governor of Given’er” [sic] on his business card, was one of the West Trek leaders who made it his mission to ensure everyone on the trip was having a good time. Dressed in a red plaid jacket, skate shoes and a loveable red beard, it was hard not to look at this guy and think, “Canadian.” Lee was paired with another staff member from West Trek Tours, Leslie Fordham, designated, “Canadian Dream Maker,” which myself and the other tourists agreed was a fitting label after spending a few days with her. Leslie is the kind of person you couldn’t not like if you tried. Her gumption and smiling face made all of the weekend adventures even more enticing.

Not knowing anyone else on the trip was intimidating at first. All kinds of thoughts go through your head, worrying you will hate everyone or that they might hate you. But my social anxiety disappeared the moment I stepped onto the bus. Students from all over the world filled the charter bus, and all of them were excited to experience beautiful British Columbia with a smile on their face. Perhaps the eclectic mix of people was what added luster the entire experience. Here I was, exploring my own province with people my own age from all over the world: Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Australia, Korea, Austria and Japan. Everyone was welcoming, and everyone was excited.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

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FEATURE After driving for the majority of the day, passing through the wet Fraser Valley, the desert areas of Merritt and Kamloops and the snowy and icy Roger’s Pass, we arrived safely in Lake Louise. Standing outside the lodge, I was immediately humbled by the enormous mountains that surrounded us. Ice-capped and intimidating, the sight of the mountains seemed to inspire awe from all of the travellers. Being from BC, I knew I was partly desensitized to the natural beauty of the mountains. I can only imagine how breathtaking the other travellers—who were mostly from other countries—found the landscape.

Although we arrived at the lodge after dinner and the plans were to go snowboarding or hiking in the morning, it didn’t stop everyone from getting to know each other and sharing a few drinks before bed.

West Trek Tours has clearly been planning their adventures for a few years, because they certainly didn’t miss a beat in their organization.

Fifteen decided to go snowboarding at Lake Louise Resort while the others went to Johnston Canyon to view the massive frozen waterfall.

Of the two touring options, leaders Lee and Leslie had everything figured out and made everyone comfortable. For those interested, there was also the option of enjoying a horse-drawn sleigh ride or dogsledding. It never felt more fitting to throw the questioning intonation of “eh” at the end of every sentence.

After a long day of exercise and breathing in the mountain air, the entire group went into Banff for dinner, drinks and good conversation.

This seems like a good introduction to Andrey “Russky” Sidorov, “The Russian.” One of the many cool things West Trek Tours does is take on student interns; Russky was one of the interns that will forever be remembered. Between jumping through fires, taking pictures of people sleeping, making people laugh, and telling the wildest stories, Russky’s general demeanor made everyone comfortable. Often wearing a hat that resembled a wolf’s head, everyone wanted to be around him. The group grew to be more like a family, and we only had known each other for four days. While we were out for dinner, Russky told stories and laughed heartily, bringing everyone together. It was a moment where, even though you know you aren’t related to this person, you felt like you were at home with family.

The next day was filled with adventures that were equally exciting. Driving into Banff, a group of us went up the Banff Gondola, 2292 feet up Sulphur Mountain. Although it was foggy, the view was still unbelievable. Walking through the man-made trails once we got to the top, the snow was gently falling as we posed for photo ops. Jacob, a tourist from Austria, and I were walking ahead on the trail when we came across a grouse. It sat on the trail and just watched us as we took the opportunity to take pictures of it sitting in the snow. It was moments like these that allowed all of the travellers to appreciate the natural beauty that surrounds us. The situation is almost humorous, I mean, it’s just a bird. But maybe that’s what was so beautiful about it. Almost 3000 feet in the mountains, I am walking with a guy I have known for a little over 24 hours, and we are admiring a fat grouse perched in the snow.

The Fairmont Lake Louise is a luxury hotel that has what I consider one of the most astounding outdoor experiences I have ever had. Although the snowboarding was amazing, and riding the gondola to the top of a mountain was absolutely gorgeous, when we arrived at The Fairmont, we rented ice skates and skated on top of the frozen Lake Louise. In between two overwhelmingly huge mountains, we skated on the naturally frozen lake and played ice hockey. The best part about ice-skating is that you don’t have to be good at it to have fun. Peter, the bus driver for the tour, and I skated around in circles, occasionally talking and also just looking around. All of the trees were dusted in snow, everybody’s nose was a little bit cold and runny, and every single person was having fun. I felt like I was in a Tim Horton’s commercial.

On the first night, when everyone was sharing drinks in the hotel room, the majority of our newfound friends had gone to bed. We had spent the night learning the dance moves to one-hit-wonder songs by the Backstreet Boys and singing along to ‘90s hits that everyone knew the words to. At the end of the night, the music mood changed and everyone began to wind down. In an impromptu speech, Lee reminded everyone to consider what the word “home” means to them. Although he was born and raised in the Vancouver area, it is when surrounded by the mountains and the fresh air in Lake Louise that he truly feels at home.

Our homes will always be with our family, in the towns where we grew up and with the people that we love. But one thing we will never know is if we have other homes out there that we haven’t been to yet.

A lot of people I know have dreams of backpacking across Europe or Asia, or flying to Australia to lie on the beach. All of these places offer different kinds of beauty: tropical, historical or mysterious. For me, I have the same dreams, I want to travel the world.

My four-day trip to Lake Louise with West Trek Tours brought new insight and inspiration to my future travel plans. I realized the beauty that is in my very backyard. Travelling doesn’t have to be something you save up $5000 for, it can be a weekend spent a few hours north. Whether the mountains are covered in snow and your nose is running, or the sun is beaming down in the summer months, British Columbia has enough beauty for me to explore for more than just a weekend. West Trek Tours provided me with an unforgettable experience. Their trips are planned all year long and work towards providing trips that show-and-tell BC’s organic scenery. Cliché statements are cliché for a reason, and on that note, I hope I have the opportunity to relive the memories I created in Lake Louise.

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

ARTS & LIFE

The Q&A: Josh Hyslop 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

CHARTS

Lost Lovers Brigade Little Skeletons Odonis Odonis Hollandaze Rich Aucoin We’re All Dying To Live Ty Segall Singles 2007-2010

Harma White Reptile

Coeur De Pirate Blonde

Silver Dapple English Girlfriend

Ferriswheel Un Peu au Nord et Sans Distortion

9 10 11

Devin Townsend Ghost The Brains Drunk Not Dead

Young Running Here Comes the Cavalry

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Thee Oh Sees Carrion Crawler b/w The Dream

13 14 15

Del Bel Oneiric Duchess Says In A Fung Day T!

The Creekside Strays Tiger Waltz

16 17 18

Skeletonwitch Forever Abomination Marine Dreams Marine Dreams

The Barmitzvah Brothers Growing Branches

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Ohbijou Metal Meets

Shuffle ANDY GRONBERG

CIVL DJ/CONTRIBUTOR

Andy Gronberg is the host of Andy’s Attic that plays 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays.

Gordon Lightfoot – “Alberta Bound” Mr. Lightfoot has written a plethora of amazing songs, but “Alberta Bound” has become a favourite of mine as every summer we take our kids on a trip to both Alberta and Saskatchewan for various fiddle events. Inevitably this song gets played on the way there.

Dean Martin (feat. Martina McBride) – “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” Written in 1936 by Frank Henry Loesser this is great song for the season. Being a fan of Dean Martin I couldn’t help but pick one from the posthumously released duets album, Forever Cool (2007), which came out 12 years after his death. Dino’s music will truly be cool forever!

Judas Priest – “Electric Eye” It doesn’t hurt the fact that I saw Judas Priest live for the first time in October and when they played “Electric Eye” and I was blown away at what a great song it is! I probably haven’t listened to it for a good twenty years, but now it’s in heavy rotation on any music playing device that happens to be in front of me.

Ancients – “Built to Die” Since downloading their free two-song EP earlier this year I’ve listened to it endlessly!

This band is insanely tight and plays a brand of metal that borders on doom metal with great hooks. Look for their new CD that will be out in early 2012.

They’re from Mission, so support your local artists.

Amy Van Veen

THE CASCADE

Josh Hyslop, a local musician from this corner of the Valley, took time away from mixing in the studio to answer a few questions about his musical aspirations, style and favourite musicbased film with The Cascade.

When and how did you get started in music?

I started playing music when I was about 15-years-old. My family and I moved to Scotland and I was having some trouble fitting in at school. My dad taught me C, G, and D and I was hooked. From then on I played every day as much as I could and learned mostly by ear and by jamming with friends.

What instruments do you play?

I play guitar, banjo, mandolin and piano, but I’m self-taught in each of those so how good I am at any of those instruments is debatable. I had piano lessons when I was about 9, but only for a year.

My teacher encouraged me to learn by ear. Maybe because she believed in me, or maybe because she didn’t want to teach me anymore. I guess we’ll never know.

How would you describe your style?

I’m always hesitant to attach a label to my music as far as genres go. I’ve been called alt-country, folk-pop and singer-songwriter. I think it’s somewhere in between folk-pop and singer-songwriter, but I don’t really care. Plus, it’ll probably change as I get older and continue to explore different styles.

What’s your main motivation for writing songs?

My songs are very honest reflections of things that I think or have gone through. I journal a lot and so most of my songs come from there, or from other people’s stories and experiences. As long as I feel like I have a unique perspective on something, I feel inspired to write.

Do you perform live often?

Not as often as I’d like. I have a few tours coming up. One in March with a friend of mine named Zaac Pick who is an incredibly talented local musician and another in May after the release of my full length album.

Of the two (performing and recording), which do you prefer and why?

Before this year, I probably would have said recording, only because I get really nervous before a show. But so far this past year I’ve recorded my EP, Cold Wind, as well as my first full length album and several B-sides. I’m definitely looking forward to getting out of the studio and playing some shows soon!

Are you working on any current projects right now?

Image: www.facebook.com/joshuahyslop Radiohead, Angus and Julia Stone, I’ve kind of answered this al- Bon Iver, The Civil Wars and many ready, but oh well. Yes! I’ve just others. finished my first full length album and now we’re working on album Do you have a favourite musicart as well as some music video based film? If so, why that one? ideas. Things are moving along nicely, I think this year is going to I hope it’s not considered emo or be pretty busy, which is great. hipster, but I really love the movie Once. I’ve been a big fan of The Have you done any collabo- Frames for a long time. I love Glen rations with other musicians/ Hansard’s passion in his singing bands? and Marketa Irglova has such a beautiful voice. It’s just such a nice Not officially. I’d really love to. story set to such beautiful music.

The few times that it’s been a pos- It’s really good. If you’re at HMV sibility it hasn’t lined up schedule- or on iTunes, after you’ve bought wise. But I’m definitely open to it. my CD, I highly recommend buyIf you could work with one mu- ing Once. sician, who would they be? Why? That’s a hard question. I think, What are your future plans as a either M. Ward or Kanye West. M. musician and artist?

Ward because we have somewhat similar styles, I love his voice and I don’t want to get pinned down how creative he is with his melo- by a label or genre or by other dies and I think he’d have some people’s expectations. I don’t want great advice for me. Kanye because to put out music just for the sake he has an incredible work ethic of putting out music. I want to beand his style is absolutely noth- lieve in what I’m doing and saying ing like mine. Plus then I could tell and hopefully I’ll get to do this for people I know Kanye West. I think many years to come. that could really take me places.

Who have you been listening to lately?

Josh Ritter, Ray Lamontagne,

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

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Mini Album Reviews

SoundBites

ARTS & LIFE

Literature Arab Spring Literature’s first full-length album, Arab Spring, is as alive with ideas and potential as its title would suggest. Hailing from Austin, Texas, the band has spent two years working on their craft, putting together a handful of increasingly focused and vital releases for local label Voice Academy Records. Arab Spring opens with the rose-tinted pop of “14 seconds,” where a disarmingly calm and collected melody is ironically undercut by a razor’s edge lyric about defusing a ticking bomb. The propulsive second track “Lily” dramatically increases the speed, where it remains for the final nine songs. Literature possesses a wild, barely contained energy and ramshackle spirit reminiscent of The Exploding Hearts. But while The Exploding Hearts channelled early British punk and power pop, Literature draws more heavily on 80s post-punk bands like The Birthday Party. The production is endearingly lo-fi and the imperfect double-tracking throughout contributes to an undeniable sense of urgency. While not every song is quite as memorable as “Grifted” and the title track, Literature is a band with a bright future.

NICK UBELS

ALBUM REVIEW NICK UBELS

THE CASCADE The Black Keys’ 11 year career arc is an admirably tenacious one, consisting of gradual success to match the band’s developing talent and diverse musical palette.

Midwest tour stops with only a handful of curious concert-goers the first time around would boast an audience of 20 the following year, maybe 50 the year after that, and so on. It’s something of a rarity these days to see a band devote so much time to earning a breakthrough record, like the Keys’ 2009 smash, Brothers. But drummer Patrick Carney and guitarist/vocalist Dan Auerbach’s long-haul dedication to their craft has paid dividends on their last two records.

The Akron, Ohio duo has come a long way from their roots as postmillennial Luddite blues punks recording scrappy and soulful eight-track albums for Fat Possum Records in Carney’s basement and abandoned rubber factories between summers spent landscaping to foot the bill. While the deft, maximal lo-fi of their early albums, Thickfreakness and Rubber Factory in particular, received due recognition from critics, the band’s stubborn adherence to nostalgic, stripped-down blues-rock

started to wear thin by the release of the band’s most inconsistent record, Magic Potion, in 2006. Two years later, the band formed an unlikely but fruitful alliance with hip hop producer Danger Mouse who helped the Keys dramatically increase their generic range. The collaboration has yielded three albums so far: Attack & Release, Brothers, and El Camino. This trilogy of records has seen The Black Keys broaden and subsequently refine their approach to best play to their strengths, allowing a greater degree of creative freedom than their early blues-heavy records.

Released in early December, El Camino is a lot more focused and concise than its predecessor, Brothers. Instead of a sprawling (or bloated, depending on your take) 15 tracks, the Keys have whittled it down to 11, no nonsense songs that embody a kind of self-consciously greasy party atmosphere.

There are no ballads here, but a wide range of up-tempo tracks replete with chunky guitars and octave vocal harmonies that bring glam-rock touchstones like T. Rex to the fore. The musicianship is once-again top notch with Carney’s incessant, driving percussive style propelling Auerbach’s more meandering guitar lines and gruffyet-sweet vocals. Camino’s hammy

Guided by Voices Let’s Go Eat the Factory

After eight long years, the splintered songs and rebellious low fidelity of Guided by Voices’ lineup has been recaptured and released with Let’s Go Eat The Factory, the band’s first record since coming out of retirement a year and a half ago. Coming on the heels of an impressive national tour kicked off by headlining Matador Records’ 21st anniversary show in Las Vegas, the band reformed their classic mid-90s lineup to charm us with more greasy, odd and short tunes. The standout track from the album is “Unsinkable Fats Domino,” which may or may not be about the legendary blues musician Fats Domino surviving hurricane Katrina back in 2005. This track has a Who vibe to it and sits right up there with classics tracks likes “Echos Myron” and “Motor Away.” Although the band appears to be fueled by beer and cigarettes, and look about 70 years old on stage, it doesn’t change the fact that front man Robert Pollard can still kick higher than his own head and that Let’s Go Eat The Factory only gets better with successive plays.

TIM UBELS

Amy Winehouse

Esmerine

Posthumously released in December, Lioness: Hidden Treasures is not by any means the hotly anticipated third album that Amy Winehouse was working on when she tragically passed away July of last year. Lioness is instead something much more poignant – a celebration of an artist through various outtakes, unreleased tracks, and alternate versions of existing songs that give us an even deeper look at the woman who dreamed of so much. Winehouse’s voice throughout the album drips with power, sexuality and heartache comparable to the late Billie Holiday – a true depiction of modern soul. Standout tracks include “Like Smoke” and “Between the Cheats.” The fact that such careful quality and obvious love went into the performance of these unreleased tracks shows listeners what kind of an artist Winehouse truly was, and serves as a worthy eulogy of sorts for longtime fans who fell in love with her raw melodies, and for new listeners hungry for inspiration.

Le Lechuza is, to say the least, an odd album – it sounds more like the soundtrack to a spooky, wispily-drawn art student’s anime short film grad project than anything. Many of the songs don’t have any vocals, focusing instead on violin, piano and woodwind instruments. Each track builds on the previous and it is interesting on the second and third listen to pick up on musical themes that thread through the entire album. Patrick Watson, a solo artist in his own right, was one of the artists involved in this project and I was sad to hear less of his distinctive vocals than I would have liked.

All things considered, it’s a slow, contemplative and complicated album. I recommend listening to it if you’re a philosophy student, or have just had your heart broken, but in very few other cases; the prevalent minor keys can’t help but be a downer.

Lioness: Hidden Treasures

La Lechuza

LEANNA PANKRATZ

DESSA BAYROCK

The Black Keys – El Camino lyrics and garish instrumentation verge on self-parody, but undeniably hook-laden choruses and inventive vocal melodies help root these more theatrical elements in musical substance.

With El Camino, The Black Keys have created an album about the spectacle of rock and roll. It revels in the genre’s early ‘70s decadence; its clichés, excesses, pleasures, sexuality, and grit are all on display, but coated in a glitzy veneer. The whole thing is impossible to take at face value—one of the tracks is actually called “Gold on the Ceiling”—and I think that’s the point.

How seriously should we take the supposedly universal narrative of rock and roll? The promise of sex, drugs and worldwide adoration should have died along Hendrix, Joplin and other members of the 27 Club who met their early demise by the end of the ‘60s. It’s telling that an album that ostensibly celebrates the high-flying rock and roll lifestyle prominently features the Keys’ beat-up van in which they spent the better part of the past decade tirelessly touring the country.

There is a palpable distance between the sleepless, largely thankless, couch-surfing existence of a young band and the reality we are widely invited to believe by hacks like Nickelback (see their number

one piece of shit single, “Rockstar”). Here, The Black Keys set out to debunk that fleeting myth, but celebrate the staying power of the music. In its own way, El Camino invokes the spirit of David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust era. While some might complain about the album’s retreat from the supposed authenticity and more earnest, un-ironic

soulfulness of The Black Keys’ earlier work, their latest offering demonstrates the wealth of inspiration at their disposal. They’re running circles around the complexity of their chart-topping peers.

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

ARTS & LIFE

Book Review

Haute Stuff

New Year’s style resolutions LEANNA PANKRATZ

Judyth Vary Baker – Me & Lee: How I Came to Know, Love and Lose Lee Harvey Oswald

THE CASCADE

The dawn of a New Year never fails to inject a spring into my step and a gleam into my eye. Call me an idealist, but I do see the change from 2011 to 2012 to be an opportunity for a clean slate in all aspects of life, be it my organizational skills (sorely lacking), my plans to travel, my creative process, and for the first time ever, my love of style. Every wardrobe needs a little change-up now and then, and what better time than the New Year to take advantage of that fresh feeling in the air and throw a little something new into the mix. Here are a few of my own style resolutions for 2012, and hopefully it will inspire you to make a few of your own.

1. Discover colour For a girl whose style icon is the famously monochromatic Coco Chanel, this first resolution might hurt a little. However, I have taken it upon myself to give black a little break. It’s so easy to get stuck in a rut of sorts when it comes to sartorial hues, and too often I am finding myself opting for the darker blacks, greys, and stark whites over pieces that are genuinely much more fun. While I’ll never be a neon girl, there is nothing wrong with a little colour now and then.

This Christmas, I was gifted with a large, burnt orange purse that has been the perfect addition to a black-and-white look. I suggest to those vying for a little burst of colour to start slowly by adding a piece at a time. I’ve so far invested in garments ranging from turquoise to rich purple to liven up the dark night of my wardrobe.

2. Step up Now this one is a little more personal. As a female member of the over 5’9” crowd, I have rigidly strayed away from any shoes with even the slightest suggestion of a heel, substituting an inch or two for a flat shoe with a little more design on the front. This year, I vow to give heels a try. It will take

ALEXEI C. SUMMERS

THE CASCADE

Image: Dancer Photography/flickr a little bit of extra confidence, I suppose, but it’s something that’s been asking to be done since I was a five-foot-seven ninth grader.

While I probably won’t be able to push myself to anything over an inch, it will surely open up an entirely new shoe realm for me that even this couture lover hasn’t yet navigated. It’s time to get high!

3. Be bold I admit that the one aspect of my style regime that I skimp on the most is my hair. It’s not that I don’t try – I do, honest! It’s simply beginning to feel boring. For years I’ve taken pride in my black, straightened, “Pocahontas-hair” as several friends refer to it as, and I feel that 2012 is the perfect time to chop it all off. With new looks come new perspectives, and I feel a shorter look will do just that. The flappers of the Jazz Age found liberation through bobbed hair, and there’s no reason why I can’t translate that same attitude to this decade. This resolution is not simply about hair – it’s about finally achieving that bold choice that’s been brewing for years, perhaps. Maybe it’s finally getting that long awaited tattoo or piercing, or splurging on a piece you’ve been eyeing for a long time.

In the words of F. Scott Fitzgerald, “This life is our only chance to experience earth. Live it with a furious passion.”

Cascade Arcade JOEL SMART

THE CASCADE

Basic logic dictates that the cheaper games are priced the better it is for those who love to game – after all, that would allow gamers to buy a larger variety of games with their money. However, last week Jools Watsham, creative director for game development company Renegade Kid, wrote a column for Gamasutra that took an opposing stance. For Watsham, the $1 price tag found on many iPhone games appeals to those who are looking simply to waste time, rather than those who want a game that will entertain, challenge and inspire them.

Although Watsham doesn’t necessarily say this is bad for the industry, what he does say is that unless his studio decides to make games that cost a lot less to make, they’ll need to charge more to recoup the costs. Additionally, if he wants to sell for a platform like the Nintendo 3DS or the PlayStation

Me & Lee, by Judyth Vary Baker, is a controversial non-fiction account of a woman’s personal relationship with a man who was made infamous by being accused of being the assassin who shot and killed President John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Most books and studies of Lee Harvey Oswald conclude that he was either a lone madman assassin or that he was tragically set up by some internal source.

This story—it can be called that, because of the literary first person narrative in which it’s written— takes the latter stance.

The first five chapters of the book are slow, but interesting. They concern the childhood and upbringing of Mrs. Baker which led to her fated meeting with Mr. Oswald, who Baker claims to have been a CIA agent who tried to save JFK’s life, but was ultimately pinned as the killer. Judyth Baker was a rising young scientist who was researching cancer and its effects on the human body. In the book she claims she dedicated most of the year of 1963 to creative a virus that was to give the Cuban leader Fidel Castro cancer. Lee Oswald was to be the agent to smuggle in the virus.

The events surrounding Oswald certainly are strange. Who was this young man who seemed to appear in so many places? He seemed to be at the centre of everything in the 1960s. Judyth’s book provides some highly plausible answers to many questions that JFK Assassination Conspiracy theorists have been posing for the past half century. She fills in the blanks and satisfies the reader’s curiosity.

In the end, Judyth makes many extraordinary claims. Some have challenged them, but she has always backed up everything she possibly can with proof and evidence – and she has plenty of both.

In addition, she provides many

stimulating visuals – mostly photographs and photocopied documents. The book is in many ways heartbreaking. Though it is a love story, it is not a love story first and foremost. It is firstly a story of duty and of cold war espionage.

Mrs. Baker does not always paint a portrait in the book where everything is rainbows and puppy dogs. She is clear to us that the relationship she had with Lee Harvey Oswald was one in which she was cheating on her husband, knowing that Oswald was also married. She is candid, but explains to the reader that she was very young—only 20—and was very much in love with Oswald.

Lee Oswald is portrayed as human, as a secret agent and as a man betrayed by the system he trusted.

His story is impossible to tell without also telling Judyth’s. It is the tale of evil triumphing over good, where the reader meets a new face previously unimagined in Me & Lee. It is not the face of a cold

blooded murderer, nor the face of a lone radical Marxist gunman, but the face of a hero, an innocent young man of twenty-four who tried to do the right thing, and was exiled in history as the murderer of one of the most beloved presidents of all time.

Of course we will never really know the truth. Documents concerning the JFK Assassination are not scheduled to be declassified for a very long time, and Mr. Oswald was himself assassinated on live television. There is certainly much speculation of the events of the fateful day of John Kennedy’s assassination, and there are many questions concerning Lee Harvey Oswald – few of which have ever been completely answered, but perhaps Mrs. Baker’s account can shed some light on the events that transpired, and can point us in the right direction.

Publisher: Trine Day Price: $24.95

The give-and-take of game prices

Vita, the market just isn’t there to sell enough copies to recoup costs with a lower price point.

The risk, of course, is that with the increasing prevalence of cheap time wasters, the majority of gamers might become less interested in shelling out for the bigger games.

“Perhaps $40 for a 3DS game is outrageous,” he said, “but what surprises me is when people scoff at the cost of $5 and $10 Nintendo eShop games. Really? Now even $5 or $10 is too much for a game?”

He’s got a point. For a gaming market that seems to get busier and busier over the years, it isn’t inconceivable that many might opt to forgo more costly games – fulfilling their urges with cheap and free-to-play games on Facebook and their phones. If this phenomenon becomes too prevalent, publishers may opt to invest primarily in dumbed-down casual games that can be sold for cheap – severely reducing the number of quality games on the market. Maybe that’s an overly pessimistic concern, but

chances are that it is already occurring to a lesser degree.

Yet, it isn’t entirely true that all cheap games can simply be labeled time wasters. Some of the most artistic, inspiring games I’ve played have come without a price tag at all. Take Every Day The Same Dream or Jason Rohrer’s Passage for example. Both of these games offer a simple, but thought-provoking experience made with a negligible production budget. In the same vein, a hefty price tag doesn’t necessarily indicate a richer gaming experience either – an occurrence I’m sure we’ve all fallen prey to at one time or another.

Although I reject this part of Watsham’s argument, he makes an important point – we need to be willing to support the development studios that make the games that we care about. Games with limited markets have no option but to charge more, and for those who support the handheld gaming market, this should not be a point to gripe over. According to

Image: screenshot from The Same Dream Every Day Watsham, developers often need buying a game might take a risk to be able to not only break even, with a cheap one and unintentionbut raise enough funds to at least ally find themselves hooked – and partly fund their next venture. thus more likely to pay more for a I suspect that in the end, the im- newer, better version later on. So, pact of the iPhone’s cheaper, more while it could go either way, it’s accessible gaming will actually be worth keeping in mind the delicate a more diverse gaming market. It balance that causes a game to wind will do much more to expand the up with the price tag it carries. The types of gaming experiences avail- future of the games you love could able, rather than diminishing them. depend on it.

People who would never consider

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

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The Adventures of Tintin

FilmReview MICHEAL SCOULAR

THE CASCADE

THE CASCADE

When Captain Haddock imparts some choice advice to ace reporter/criminal investigator/firearm acrobat Tintin, it seems at odds with the movie it is taking place in, for if these are The Adventures of Tintin, any Indiana Jones-like (director Spielberg has described this series as a kids version of that fabled franchise) realizations should come out of the adventure, not stop the fun at the eleventh hour for life lesson time. But if the script by Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish has its faults, Spielberg’s visuals of the world Tintin inhabits—which are one step removed from both the “real world” and the cartoon world of Hergé’s comics, and thus walk a fine balance between traditional camera movement and composition and gravity defiant, physically freed flights— ably make up for them. The animation style—thankfully free of the dead eyes and weird skin tones (camels notwithstanding) of previous motion capture cartoons—is impressively detailed, and the

The people in Cameron Crowe’s films make overt one not-too-wellhidden human characteristic: they want other people to love them, and are willing to try anything to force that to happen. While Crowe’s protagonists have grown up as his career has progressed, they still possess the same unbeatable spirit of optimism, even when that seems to clash with reality or other people. Though the quality of his movies has wildly varied, they all possess a similar style of dialogue that captures the unprepared repetitiveness, uneven flow, and uncomfortable awkwardness of everyday speech. Crowe, despite the fact he now has a father of two, rather than a just-graduated teenager as his protagonist, is still most interested in rookie mistakes – in the pitfalls and triumphs of innocence, rather than the loss of it.

With the real estate agent who has

action scenes—taking place in every altitude and temperature except for below zero and below ground—are vertiginously exciting. There is one in particular that upstages everything that took place in Spielberg’s last movie on its own, showing he still knows better than almost anyone how little is needed to create a fantastic, energy-filled, action scene (in this case, a gust of wind or two).

ARTS & LIFE

We Bought a Zoo

MICHEAL SCOULAR

yet to sell a house, the girl who has yet to meet a boy in her life and the family who has no experience living without their matriarch, all backed up by Sigur Rós front-

man Jónsi’s ever-uplifting score, the overemphasis of beguiling figures might prove overwhelmingly sweet, but there is more than the challenge of managing the zoo, the house, and the moody boy and love-struck girl in We Bought a Zoo. Crowe navigates the shifted family dynamic that results from the loss of a loved one with the same undaunted, yet unpolished approach he gives to the rest of the movie.

He doesn’t gloss over or forget that happiness is never far from its opposite, right to the movie’s final bittersweet moment. He doesn’t cut through the chaos of family life but builds the zoo narrative, its animals secondary to people, around it.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

War Horse

JEREMY HANNAFORD

JEREMY HANNAFORD

CONTRIBUTOR

CONTRIBUTOR

War Horse is a delicate story about how friendship has no bounds and can remain strong no matter what the circumstances are.

Steven Spielberg brings this story to life with exceptional photography and binding emotion. He captures not only the story of the horse but the tales of everyone affected by the horse and the events during the First World War. The idea of the multiple characters is the best part of the film as it displays that a beautiful creature can bring out the best in people even in the worst of times. Spielberg does his best to bring the war to life with hundreds of well-made costumes and weapons along with massive set pieces.

This movie will pull the heart strings in the way Spielberg intends. It will take you on a ride of emotion as a young man experiences the pain of having his beloved horse, Joey, sold into the British Army before then joining the war effort in order to find him

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in the middle of it all.

Editing issues arise as certain moments are overlooked that would help build the characters and, at times, you are lost as to whose is the main narrative. However, this is intentional as the horse is merely a window into the men of the war and those who tried to better themselves. While it is not his best film by any means, War Horse has classic Spielberg written all over it.

The feeling of the impossible is very evident while viewing Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. The idea of a director, who has virtually no experience with live action films, putting an aging actor back into an already dragged out series, sounds improbable. However, Brad Bird and Tom Cruise come together to make possibly the best Mission Impossible film yet with thrilling stunts, fantastic set pieces and great humour. While the story is by no means complex, it sets the bar for constant entertainment and character dilemmas. Tom Cruise is enthralling with constant energy and is ever-willing to perform insane stunts while Brad Bird captures every action-packed moment with clarity and attention to direction. In several of the large action sequences, Bird always keeps the camera on what is important. Even

during an intense chase through a massive sandstorm in the Dubai, Bird’s camera never moves too fast to lose the action but keeps tension and excitement at an all-time high.

But while this is still an action movie, Bird does not forget his greatest trait – he builds the characters of Cruise’s team. Simon Pegg brings his trademark humour to every scene he is in, from stealth espionage to literally levitating Jeremy Renner through a massive computer. Renner brings a character that has more to him than one face – he brings a level of depth unseen with most MI secondary characters which is defiantly refreshing. While this movie is by no means unique, it is still an entertaining and intense spectacle that keeps the viewer tuned in and wanting to see what happens next.

UFV’s poster competition passes on the goodness SASHA MOEDT

THE CASCADE

UFV’s second annual poster competition, organized by the visual arts department, is taking place this year with an inspired theme. Graphics instructor Arthur Babiarz explained that the idea for the competition theme “Uncommon Goodness” was sparked by the research done by UBC professor Karl Aquino.

Aquino led a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, a study investigating whether people who experience or observe compassion or goodness are more likely to behave altruistically themselves. Aquino’s research showed a direct link between witnessing acts of goodness, and emotions or thoughts that lead

to acts of goodness.

Looking at media, Aquino and co-researcher Brent McFerran of the University of Michigan found that if more attention was dedicated to stories of altruism, the media would have a more positive effect on its viewers. The study shows that reading and watching stories in the media of uncommon goodness had a positive effect on the thoughts and actions of the observers.

The researchers conducted a series of tests on individuals, exposing them to uncommon acts of compassion and goodness in various forms. A correlation was found between the subjects observing these acts, and a subsequent act of charity. Interestingly, Aquino found that this correlation would be less strong if the subject

observing these acts of goodness did not identify with the morality; yet, even those who had only a slight—or even entirely absent— moral sense would still be affected by the acts observed.

Nevertheless, Aquino followed through with the media as a source to affect viewers by selecting stories of human compassion or goodness to trigger a compassionate response in the viewers, themselves.

For example, Aquino looked at a natural disaster in a country that would rely on aid from other countries. Rather than showing broad scenes of desperation and hardship, the media might be more effective in strategies to raise aid and compassion from viewers by focusing on individual acts of goodness.

“Uncommon Goodness,” then,

is the theme of this year’s poster competition – people who see goodness, do good. The poster competition itself is an interesting twist off of Karl Aquino’s research.

A poster reflecting this theme might trigger emotion and acts of goodness through an effective and emotive visual for students at UFV. Participants can submit individually or in teams of two students, while each participant may submit up to two entries.

All entries will be judged on creativity and effectiveness, whether the work is visually dynamic and innovative, and relevance to the theme of the competition. The design should incorporate UFV’s name and logo. Any two-dimensional physical or digital format may be used, and they should be printable in a vertical or horizontal

poster format.

The registration form submission deadline is January 23, 2012, while the entries submission deadline is January 30, 2012. Participants must submit their work to the Visual Arts office on the Abbotsford campus, building C.

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

ARTS & LIFE

POSTCARD LITERATURE An Absence of White

And everybody was so young so young.

Is it so ridiculous that I once dreamed of something as simple as the sea? Ridiculous or not, I did. I dreamed of the sea. I longed for crashing tides outlined in frothy green spray that danced over the ripples. I craved scented breezes thick with salt that landed on the tongue. For the scuttling of crabs across the sand that I once caught in bright red pails. For the eternity of blue water meeting blue sky. Of untouched purity and attainable whiteness.

It was like a great fair. - And we were all so young.

He glittered. He glittered like a chandelier – luxurious, and casting his light as a prism on anything he could. I think back to the day I was seduced by a diamond ring under his almond trees.

“What would you like? I’ll give you anything,” he said.

“I want the sea!” I laughed, pouring us both a second glass of rose. “I want to possess even a droplet of that eternity!”

“Then the sea you will have.”

We made love spurred on by that promise in a bedroom overlooking the Mediterra-

Ariana Lachance

nean. I wish I realized then that you couldn’t possess eternity through a window.

We live in castles that are made of sand.

It took 10 years to establish a routine: We dance. We dance to DeLovely under our paper moon and mobile stars. We dance with gorgeous men and beautiful ladies – ambition always playing a third partner.

We drink. We swill back cocktails like we’ll never see gin again. We would trade rain for champagne showers.

We fade. We chase our own ambition until it is nothing but a memory of past naïveté.

I find myself distracted by the waves. For once he allowed me to host an evening outside.

He knows how I love the view.

My eyes scan the room. We are each a one-man show –each of us debuting for his own audience. The air is moist and saturated. The ladies are dipped in silver, and the men wrapped in gold. Here there is no subtlety.

No sign of whiteness. Nothing is eternal. I feel my eyes burn.

I find my gaze drawn to a figure on the street below. He is heading to the ocean. I inhale

Imprisonment

Alone. Really, really alone.

No one to talk to. If I screamed no one would hear me. I open my mouth and nothing comes out. A bottomless pit of increasing pain springs forth from within me. I clasp my hands over my ears, and still I hear nothing. I try to open my eyes wide and am greeted with blackness. I concentrate so hard that my eyes and nose wrinkle with frustration. I try to move my tongue into the shapes, and still no voice echoes. I press my foot hard into the front of my shoe in aggravation. I strike out, and fall. There is no one to stop me. I attempt to groan but

Stories about “Imprisonment”

and I run.

Oh, if what we did was fresh, new, and truly alive!

He glows. He glows like radium – emitting a charisma absent of beauty, but rich with promise. I follow him – traipsing over the cobblestones in my heels, attempting to keep up with his pace. As we reach the sand, I remove my heels. He suddenly turns to face me, and I feel silly for having followed him.

“What do you want?” he asks – a confused look in his eye. I begin to apologize, before pausing a moment, taking in the warm night air that comes in breezes from somewhere beyond the horizon.

“I want the sea,” I answer, expressionless. He laughs. A fine chuckle void of pretense. He removes his clothing and sprints over a little wooden dock.

“Then jump in!” is all he says, before disappearing beneath the spray, head bobbing up again with the same glorious laugh.

I think back to my bedroom overlooking this same sea, and I realize what I have lost. I betrayed the whiteness. I sink to my knees. I did not possess the

sea. I was as imprisoned by disillusionment as my guests dancing now under our paper moon. I could jump now. Strip off my clothes and swim somewhere new with the Radium Man. I could see things to stimulate myself once again. For the first time in ten years— “Darling?” I hear from behind me. “Oh, thank goodness you’re here!” His eyes do not glow like radium.

“Well, you’ve found me,” I respond, expressionless, rising to my feet. My gaze shifts from him to the figure in the water, to the dark horizon.

“Can I get you anything, dear? Anything at all. What would you like?” He persists, perfect eyes looking but not seeing.

“I want the sea,” I whisper, my voice ragged and weak. I blink back the tears that threaten to spill. He clicks his tongue in the way a mother might to chide an impish son. He slides his hand to the small of my back.

“But darling, you have the sea,” he responds without pause. “We’ve captured it here.

All you need to do is gaze through your bedroom win-

dow.”

And it is sadly true that only the invented part of our life—the unreal part—has had any scheme or beauty.

I wilt. I wilt like a scarlet rose as he leads me back underneath our paper moon. The scent of liquor and No. 5 overwhelms the salt. The strains of jazz music drown out the waves, and I dance. For who believes in unattainable whiteness? *Italicized quotes are taken from the writings of Gerald and Sara Murphy

you the colours of anything!

What are colours? Even if I knew I couldn’t tell you. I’ve tried so often. I’ve had fingers pressed into my hands, but it doesn’t make sense. But, I could run my hands around me now and I could tell you everything there was to know if only I knew. I could stumble out and feel something cool, gently blow against my cheek.

I could tilt my head up and feel warmth. I could move my fingers across my eyes and see darker shadows. I could shift my body and sink my toes into this moistened squishy substance, and as I walk, I feel as if I’ve left something. I know I’ve

been here. But will anyone else?

I could run my feet through this freezing liquid and shiver with ignorance. I can feel its power crash against my legs. I can look down but there is nothing. A reflection would never mean anything to me. I don’t even know what I look like. I couldn’t define to you whether I was pretty or not. What is it to be beautiful? I struggle to know myself. I sometimes don’t even learn from my mistakes. But, without true understanding, I find myself alone once more.

If I could ask for one thing it would be to be rid of this sanctuary I have been imprisoned in, all my life.

Becky Franklyn is a second year English student at UFV who has had a passion for creative writing since she was very young. She won a Remembrance Day Poetry contest and had a work published in Fireworks and Shooting Stars at the age of 10. Currently she is hoping for extra time, when not having to complete assignments, to finish editing something to get it ready for publication.

Ariana Lachance is a fourth year English student at UFV who likes nothing more than to immerse herself in great art – all the while striving to produce something somewhat reasonable. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys silent films, scones with Devonshire cream, and going for bike rides with friends. She greatly admires the work of EM Forster and Rudyard Kipling, with a fair bit of Keats in the mix as well.

Becky Franklyn

I feel only dull vibrating in my throat. I shove my hands hard against the cold smooth ground and heave myself up.

Upon gaining my balance, I place my hands to my lips and pull at them. Then reaching into my mouth, I yank at my tongue. I try defying the gravity in which my tongue resists my touch. And still, it won’t move the way I want it. I am shielded. From everything.

There is no relief. I am innocent to everything but my own frustrations.

I imagine, though. I imagine a place of surreal beauty, where there is no more blackness. One with… Oh! But, I couldn’t tell

Postcard Lit Call for Submissions

Please attach all submissions as a Word .doc.

Would you like to see your short fiction published?

The Cascade is looking for original flash fiction to grace the pages of this fine publication. Each week, we will include a thematic prompt for writers to work with.

Submissions must be under 500 words. Show us what you can do in a limited amount of space.

This week’s prompt is: Write a mystery story!

Only one work may be published per author per issue.

Submission guidelines

What we like: - General fiction is preferred, but humour and satire are also appreciated.

- We’re not sticklers for genre. As long as it’s good, we’ll consider it.

*Insert name of story, poem, or monologue here* by *Insert name of author here*.

Writers are encouraged to create new work each week to fit with the prompt.

- Please inform us if your submission has been previously published.

- Submissions can come from UFV students, faculty or community members.

Biography: - Feel free to include a short 50-75 word blurb about yourself in your submission.

Response time will typically be one week.

Please email all submissions to: alexei@ufvcascade.ca Mystery stories will be accepted until January 18.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

www.ufvcascade.ca

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SPORTS & HEALTH

NFL playoffs: eight teams remain following wild card weekend BALRAJ DHILLON CONTRIBUTOR It was wildcard weekend in the NFL, which means the NFL playoffs have begun. The New England Patriots, Baltimore Ravens, Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers were all awarded first round byes for finishing in the top two of their respective conferences, thus giving them a chance to rest this weekend. In Houston the Texans hosted the Cincinnati Bengals which marked Houston’s first ever playoff game in the franchise’s history. The other AFC match-up saw the Denver Broncos, who barely squeaked into the playoffs, host the Pittsburgh Steelers and their number one defence. On the NFC side, the Detroit Lions visited the high-powered New Orleans Saints which turned out to be a record breaking game for both offences. The second NFC match-up saw the New York Giants host the Atlanta Falcons.

The Houston versus Cincinnati game marked the first time two rookie quarterbacks (QB) had ever started in a playoff game. It was T.J. Yates, the third string quarterback for the Texans taking on sensational rookie QB Andy Dalton of the Bengals. Yates looked nothing like a third string quarterback as he threw for over 150 yards and a touchdown without ever turning the ball over. However, the hero for the Texans was the un-drafted running

back Arian Foster, who rushed all over the Bengals for 153 yards and two touchdowns. Bengals QB Andy Dalton, despite showing tremendous skill in the regular season, epically melted down in his first ever playoff game. The young rookie threw for 257 yards, but also threw three costly interceptions. The Texans won their first and only playoff game in team history and will head to Baltimore next week to take on the Ravens.

It was another dramatic finish in Denver, but that’s the norm for the Broncos and rookie QB Tim Tebow.

The Broncos were underdogs heading into Sunday’s match-up against the Steelers—who held top ranked defence. Tebow is not known to be a passing quarterback, so it was a big surprise to the Steelers when they saw the quarterback drop back 21 times to throw, completing 10 of those passes for an astounding 316 yards and two touchdowns; Tebow also rushed for 50 yards and added a touchdown on the ground. Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger played with a high ankle sprain and did not look like his usual self. He was unable to get out of the pocket much and instead took sacks. Despite the injury, the QB still threw for 289 yards and a touchdown, along with an interception. The Steelers were also without their starting running back Rashad Mendenhall, however back up Isaac Redman more than filled the void as

Heat Report: On pace for most successful season SEAN EVANS the cascade Nearing the mid-way point of the season, the Abbotsford Heat have surprised many. Last year the Heat finished dead last in the league, recording a dismal record of 38-32-46, recording only 186 goals for. This year has been a very different story – 35 games in, the Heat have a record of 22-10-3-0 and are on pace to record 216 goals for. The result is that the Heat are sitting just three points out of first place in the league, poised to make their first ever appearance in the playoffs.

The difference has largely been due to the addition of a first line that can actually produce goals – when it matters most. Ben Walter and Krys Kolanos both joined the club in October and began playing with Jon Rheault. The newly-formed line quickly found chemistry and has yet to look back. The three forwards currently occupy the top three scoring positions for the club.

As a result, Jon Rheault is now the all-time leading scorer for the Abbotsford Heat, with just 61 points over 113 regular season games. Talking with Cam Tucker of The Vancouver Sun, Rheault commented on the broken record: “I didn’t actually know what the numbers were for the franchise, but I’m honoured to be the leading scorer with the Heat and obviously it’s an organization that took me in and gave me a good opportunity here.”

As such a young organization, the earning of the all-time scoring title

was not a major feat, but it marks a distinct change in both the style of play and the talent of the Abbotsford Heat this year. To say that the Heat have improved on last seasons play is an understatement. Improvements have comes both offensively (as noted) and defensively.

Leland Irving started out the season in net for the Heat and played 23 games before being recalled to the Calgary Flames to fill in for the injured Miikka Kiprusoff. In his time with the Heat this season, Irving posted a 0.914 save percentage and a 2.30 goals-against average (GAA).

Just prior to his departure, the Flames signed goaltender Danny Taylor. Taylor has now played 21 games with the Heat and has filled Irving’s skates quite nicely, putting up an impressive 0.927 save percentage and a 2.38 GAA. Last season the Heat surrendered 206 goals, while they are currently on pace to surrender only 156.

These numbers provide an easy explanation to why the Heat have found success early on this season – they are scoring more and being scored on less.

While these numbers are impressive, it remains to be seen whether the Heat will sustain these numbers during the second half of the season.

There is a bigger question has yet to be answered: whether this success will put more fans into the seats at the AESC. That will be the greatest challenge this young organization will face—a challenge that will only be overcome by the continuation of the style of play displayed during the first half of this season.

ineffective and the offence struggled throughout the match. It was an easy game for Eli Manning and the Giants – good practice as they head to Green Bay next week to take on the former Super Bowl champions in a divisional round match up. The Giants and Packers played in the regular season with the Packers squeaking out a narrow three-point win.

The divisional round next week is guaranteed to feature games that come down to the wire.

Dhillon’s Predictions:

Image: jeffrey beal/flickr

he rushed for 121 yards on 17 carries.

The game went to overtime, where on the first play in extra time Tebow dropped back and delivered a perfect pass in stride to running back Daerius Thomas for 80 yards and the game winning score. The Broncos will head to New England to take on the Patriots next week, a team which is nearly unbeatable at home and beat the Broncos 41-23 just a few weeks ago.

In New Orleans it was a match-up of two 5000 yard passers in Matthew Stafford and Drew Brees. The two combined for over 800 passing yards and the two teams combined for over 1000 yards of total offence—both setting NFL post-season records.

However, it was New Orleans who came out on top as Matthew Stafford threw two interceptions, resulting in points for the Saints. The Saints came away with a 45-28 win behind Brees’ 466 passing yards and three touchdowns. Despite getting 380 passing yards and three touchdowns from Stafford, the Lions defence couldn’t stop the Saints when they needed it most. The Saints will head to the west coast for a match up with the 49ers and their second-ranked defence.

It was a sleeper in the Meadowlands as the Giants beat the Falcons 24-2. The Falcons clearly did not look like a team deserving of a playoff spot. The defence was largely

1. The Patriots beat the Broncos 35-21 as Tom Brady is unbeatable at home and his two tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez put up huge numbers.

2. The Houston Texans shock the league and beat the Baltimore Ravens on the road 18-13. The Texans have a stingy defence good enough to contain Ravens running back Ray Rice.

3. The New Orleans Saints will beat the 49ers 28-25 as Drew Brees will just be too much for the young 49ers team.

4. I’m calling another upset: the Giants beat the Packers 31-24 as Giants running back Brandon Jacobs runs all over the Packers defence.

NHL Rookie Profile: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins BALRAJ DHILLON CONTRIBUTOR Jordan Eberle, Magnus PaajarviSvensson, Taylor Hall and now Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Edmonton Oilers have struggled immensely since making it to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2006. However, hindsight proves the Oilers struggles to be a blessing in disguise as finishing at the bottom of the standings for the past five seasons has landed them incredible young talent through early first round draft picks. Five seasons of embarrassing performances now seems like just a small price to pay for what Oiler nation has inherited over the years. The latest prize is the 2011 first overall pick, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

At just 18-years-old, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, a centre from Burnaby, BC, made a strong case at the Oilers training camp to make the team.

After a strong preseason, the Oilers decided to keep Nugent-Hopkins up in the NHL for the first nine games of the season. All NHL rookies are allowed to play nine games with their NHL club before being sent back to the CHL. If a rookie plays in more than nine games, the first year of their contract automatically comes into effect. After the first nine games, Nugent-Hopkins already had five goals and proved he belonged in the NHL, despite being too young to even grab a drink with his teammates.

When the Oilers dressed him in their tenth game of the season, therefore bringing his contract into effect, not many were surprised.

Nugent-Hopkins played for the Burnaby Winter Club during his minor hockey years, earning himself a first overall draft pick in the WHL Bantam Draft by the Red Deer Rebels. In the WHL, Nugent-Hopkins put up astounding numbers. In his first full season, he posted 24 goals and 65 points in 67 games, which earned him the honour of being the WHL Rookie of the Year. In his second full season with the Rebels, Nugent-Hopkins took off. He put up 31 goals and 75 assists for 106 points in 69 games.

The NHL has been no different for Nugent-Hopkins. He has successfully translated his ability to produce in the juniors into an ability to produce in the NHL. After a quarter of the season had passed, Nugent-Hopkins lead all rookies with 29 points in

27 games, and found himself tied for fourth in NHL scoring. It’s an amazing feat for sure to have the success he is having, and Oilers fans should cherish the thought that as long as this core of young players remains intact they can look forward to a decade of fast paced, exciting, high scoring hockey from their team.

Nugent-Hopkins success in the NHL is a motivating story for all junior centers that lack the “normal” size to be a centre in the NHL. At just over six-feet tall and a mere 175 pounds, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins doesn’t possess a frame which is typical for the NHL. Centres are known to be big and strong with the ability to fight for pucks on face-offs and back check hard to help out the defence. I met Ryan Nugent-Hopkins when the Edmonton Oilers were in Vancouver during the preseason and he did not strike me as a hockey player. He was a scrawny, lanky teenager, who I was sure would be sent back to the OHL following his nine game stint in the NHL. However, the young centre showing that the NHL is indeed changing. The post-lockout National Hockey League, also known as the, “new NHL,” was intended to create more space for skaters and more goals for the fans. What Nugent-Hopkins and the rest of the young Oiler squad are doing is proving just that.

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

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SPORTS & HEALTH basketball

UFV women defeat Lethbridge Pronghorns; men fall in emotionally-charged madhouse KYLE BALZER CONTRIBUTOR

Last Saturday night, the UFV Cascades were back in Canada West Basketball action. After both the women and the men defeated the University of Calgary on Friday night, it was time to face another strong Albertan team, the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns.

The women began the night with the anticipation of an easy win, but when the first quarter came to a close, Lethbridge had a five-point lead. In the second quarter, veteran Tessa Klassen took over the offensive end by scoring 13 points, including two three-pointers in a row, and by halftime the Cascades had the lead. “She knows what it takes to win games and we are very pleased with her leadership skills and the example that she provides for the girls,” said assistant coach Anthony Luyken.

The score was 36-27 at halftime.

As the third quarter progressed, forward Kayli Satori displayed strong defensive play, along with her ability to execute key plays in the offensive zone. Finally, the ladies were able to seal the deal with guards Celeste Dyck and Sarah Wierks dominating the floor with excellent passing and even the courage to face the tall Lethbridge defence. The final score was

64-56 and Tessa Klassen was the top scorer with 21 points.

“We need to be consistent when we play two nights in a row,” Coach Luyken commented following the game. “We have to be efficient on offence and continue to do what we do best.”

Afterwards, it was time for the “green men” to face the Pronghorns and it was a game of epic proportions.

The first quarter went back and forth with both teams displaying strength and ability, especially UFV’s own Sam Freeman scoring seven points.

By halftime, Lethbridge had taken over the lead by a score of 32-37.

“We definitely play our best when we make a lot of key shots and that’s because we’ve got some fantastic shooters [Freeman and Moedt]. If we have better shots, then we’ll have a better shooting percentage,” said coach Barnaby Craddock.

The fourth quarter was truly an emotional madhouse thanks to pride, tiny referees, and flying articles of clothing. Forward Jasper Moedt was offensively fouled early in the quarter, which caused the Lethbridge player to pull up his jersey in rage like a football player scoring a winning touchdown. James York and Joel Friesen of the Cascades exchanged pleasantries with the refs and the Pronghorns, and as a result they became two of the four

Cascades that fouled out of the game.

“Obviously a lot of emotion came out tonight and of course that happens sometimes, but it’s also my job to keep the guys calm and just move on to the next play,” said Friesen.

Finally, after a 24-second shotclock violation that wasn’t called and an offensive charge against UFV that was clearly a block on Lethbridge, the game had reached its breaking point as coach Craddock threw off his coat in frustration which would eventually lead to an ejection with just 20 seconds left. He yelled to the referees, and I quote, “You’re horrible!”

In conclusion, after a long, interesting, and entertaining evening, the men lost the game 78-87. Top scorer was Sam Freeman with 23 points.

Despite all of the action that was witnessed, coach Craddock was satisfied with his team’s energy level: “We didn’t play a strong, offensive game tonight, but we did put a lot of energy out there and that’s always good to see.”

The Cascades next home game will be in the Abbotsford Entertainment & Sports Centre as both the men and the women take on the Trinity Western Spartans. Checkout the UFV Athletics website for more information.

above: Celeste Dyck takes on the double team. right: Sam Freeman shows some flexibility.

Images:Paul Esau

Youngblood on the court PAUL ESAU

couple of guys had started buying them and I wanted to stand out a little bit. Everyone thinks I kind of look like Joel, so I wanted to do something to make myself look like an individual (laughs).

the cascade Aside from the officiating fireworks, Saturday’s game featured some fine moments from one of the Cascades’ rising stars: Jordan Blackman. Recruited from Yale Secondary in Abbotsford, Blackman is in his first year with UFV, and his considerable talent is translating into some big minutes and bigger plays. In one of the most memorable feats of the night, the six-foot-six guard tracked down a Pronghorn player cruising to what he obviously thought was an easy layup, only to discover Blackman hovering in the upper stratosphere. The ball ended up somewhere in the stands, the opposing player ended up wishing he’d stayed home, and Blackman, well, Blackman gave us an interview.

How do you feel about the game tonight?

It was alright, we were a little slow offensively, defense was a big part of our first half, but [later on] it just seemed like we fell a part a little bit. Especially in the fourth quarter with lots of fouls going on.

One play that stuck out to me... number seven [on the Pronghorns] was going to the hoop on a fastbreak layup and you stuffed him.

You came up behind and you really seemed to want to stuff him. What was up with number seven that sparked your ire?

But you took them off in the fourth quarter?

I didn’t think I was going back in the game. Guys started fouling out.

I’ve also been hearing vicious rumours about a rap album?

Image:ufv.ca

I’m the kind of guy, if I can get a chance to erase a mistake, I’ll take the opportunity. We turned the ball over and they got a fast break and I would just do anything I could to shave some points off the board. So they don’t get easy hoops when they think they’ve got an easy basket. I just chased it down.

I was hearing that you guys were on a trip to L.A. recently, which might explain the double arm sleeves tonight. Tell me a little about that.

All the guys, we’re pretty much like a family, we’re so close. I have arm sleeves from years and years of playing. I always used to rock them. A

Yeah, maybe. I mean I got a producer, and I’m trying to put together a little mix tape on the side. It’s mostly a summer thing.

How much of that is together at this point? Do you have some tracks?

I do have some tracks, I have about seven or eight tracks... I have a web page that I put them on. I haven’t put any of my new stuff up yet, but I do have some stuff online.* How would you describe yourself as a rapper?

I would describe myself kind of, I sing a little bit, but mostly it’s just a way for me to vent. Some people write, some people are vocal, and I think I have a gift musically. I just express myself through it so pretty much it’s just me. *Google “JBlaq” for some sick beats.

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goodlifefitness.com *When joining you will be required to pay $219 plus applicable tax. No additional fees are required above the specified membership fee. Must be 18 years of age or older with a valid student ID. Membership expires 4 months from date of purchase. Limited time offer. One club price only. Offer valid at participating clubs only. Other conditions may apply, see club for details.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

www.ufvcascade.ca

19

SPORTS & HEALTH

To crease or not to crease

One-game series: Just how much the win in Boston meant for the Canucks

KAREN ANEY the cascade The NHL is a different league than it once was. Even 20 years ago, the game had a completely different face. The dissolution of the instigator penalties, the move away from letting the players govern themselves, Brendan Shanahan’s explicit and sometimes infuriating explanation videos – many things contribute, but the end result is a more cerebral game with less room for rough contact. This style of play should extend to goaltending as well. Unfortunately, the rules have some catching up to do. What, exactly, should they look like?

The need to address this is evident in many instances, but for the sake of relevance, we’ll look at the two hits on Ryan Miller this season. The first was from big bad Bruin Milan Lucic. The second was from Nashville Predator Jordin Tootoo, less than a month later. Lucic didn’t get the suspension: disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan stated in his explanation video that he believed it was a mistake, saying “I felt... it’s reasonable that he really felt that this was a potential breakaway.”

Tootoo, conversely, was suspended for two games for his hit. Controversies aside, these two hits show that this goaltender, at least, isn’t doing so well under the present rule set.

The current rules aren’t sufficient, as they allow too many grey areas and potential for injury. They also don’t protect the opposing team from goaltender violence. So, the NHL can go one of two ways: first, they could make the goalies untouchable – and take away their hitting privileges.

Second, they could make goalies open season (to legal hits) outside of the crease, but allow them to hit back.

Goaltender rules have changed quite a bit over the years to get us where we are today. In 1931, a rule was instigated that said attacking players couldn’t obstruct goaltender vision.

In 1934, the goaltender could not go more than a single foot from his goal line when a penalty shot was being taken. Things have clearly changed from then – obstructing goaltender vision is a somewhat tolerated tactic today, and goalies can roam as far as their hearts desire during penalty shots. It was 1991 that saw the introduction of goals being disallowed if the crease was touched in any way by an opposing player. In 1999 the rule was amended to being subject to the referee’s view on whether the crease contact impeded the goalie’s abilities at all.

Those are the major rule changes concerning goaltending that have occurred – nothing regarding contact. Given the current climate in the NHL, does this not seem amiss?

The only goalie-specific penalty listed in the rulebook is that they may not use their blocking glove to punch an opponent in the head or face. Given the rules as they currently stand, goaltenders can use their blocking glove to punch arms, throats, stomachs, and so on. The goalie could use their catcher glove to block an opposing player’s field of vision. Heck, they could even use said glove to lovingly cup another player’s face and whisper sweet nothings to him. Or something.

That’s sure to be distracting.

In the rulebook, goaltenders are

listed as not allowed to commit any of the traditional infractions: hooking, holding, cross checking, and so on.

However, we know that they aren’t always called for what they’re doing—see the Stanley Cup Finals for evidence of this—and that players are allowed no retribution. As stated in the rulebook: “In all cases in which an attacking player initiates intentional or deliberate contact with a goalkeeper, whether or not the goalkeeper is inside or outside the goal crease, and whether or not a goal is scored, the attacking player will receive a penalty.”

So in theory, a goaltender can cross check an opposing player and if that player even nudges him while getting up, the power play (if it was even awarded in the first place) is negated.

The rulebook even cites what seems to be a common refrain in most local watering holes: “A goalkeeper is not “fair game” just because he is outside the goal crease area.” These rules, though, are just helping the goalies do their jobs unhindered by pesky opponents. If a goalie chooses to go halfway to the blueline to forecheck a player, shouldn’t that player have the right to lay a legal (by any other means) hit on him?

The defence to this is that their equipment makes them a slow-moving target. This is true. However, they also are fully aware of this hindrance. Having a rule in place to allow goaltenders to work around this is unreasonable – at the NHL level, it’s clear they know exactly how fast they can skate and how well they can manoeuvre. If they choose to take a calculated risk playing a puck, that’s their decision – a comparable rule would be the one that requires all players wear a helmet. Again, this is the NHL instigating a rule for player safety – but, helmets protect against loose pucks and unpredictable contact that can’t always be avoided and is a danger both on the ice and on the bench. Being hit by a player on open

Image: dinurblum/flickr

JOEL SMART

ice can be avoided by staying crouched in the crease.

Going back to the dual hits on Miller this season, Sabres general manager Darcy Regier told media that he was satisfied with the suspension of Tootoo. “We all realize that, when you’re talking about 30 starting goaltenders – the significance of that position, the fact that they’ve never been trained to either hit or take hits – they need and deserve the protection when they’re outside the net playing the puck.” Given the fact that the average goalie this season in the NHL is just shy of six feet and 200 pounds, perhaps it’s time to start training them to take hits? Their size certainly doesn’t preclude them from contact.

The unfortunate thing about the discrepancies between what’s allowed from and on a goalie is that it can’t change overnight. This is a stance that needs to begin in the minor leagues, where future NHL level players are being trained. Allowing goalies to be hit would create a more equal playing experience for everyone on the ice, but the years of experience necessary mean that this isn’t something that can be instigated by next season. Because of that, the only choice that’s left is really to take away goalie contact altogether. The players can’t touch goalies, goalies can’t touch the players. Accidental contact is one thing, but goalies cannot be allowed to leave their crease, check a player, and be untouchable in the process.

Given the current style of play and the time it would take to allow more contact to goalies, the choice is clear: goalies need to be left alone. Further, they need to leave everyone else alone too.

the cascade They said it was just another one out of 82—with just two points on the line—but they weren’t fooling anyone. It was the first game of the second half of the regular season, and the first and only chance the Canucks will have this season to face off against the team that dropped them out of the Stanley Cup Finals in game seven last June. Oh, it mattered.

In some ways it was a battle for redemption. In other ways, it was a beacon of hope. In yet other ways, the face off against the Bruins was a scramble for dignity. Yet, most of all, it was a first-class hockey game with an incomprehensible number of dramatic storylines playing out from start to finish.

After a seven-game series in the most pressure-filled situation a hockey player can imagine, this one-off took only moments to bring the emotion-filled memories flooding back. It was no surprise when Alex Burrows was at the centre of a dispute that brought on a line-brawl just minutes into the opening period. The success of the Canucks power play and the superb goaltending of back-up Cory Schneider (including a great glove save on a penalty shot) was enough to secure the victory for Vancouver. Yet, there were some costs. By the end, the Canucks wound up with two injured players, including workhorse defenceman Sami Salo. He was injured on a dirty, low hit by Bruin goon Brad Marchand, on a play where Salo didn’t even touch the puck.

Despite the injuries, however, the game had an incredible amount of therapeutic value for the Canucks. It let them know that they have every bit as much of a chance to win this year as they did last year, if not moreso. Bos-

ton came into the game off of a 6-1 win in New Jersey and a 9-0 win against Calgary – not to mention 23 wins in their last 27 games. To say that the Bruins are playing at the top of their game is to put it lightly. So, for the Canucks to come into Boston and beat them at their own style of game says a lot about the current drive of the Canucks. The win early Saturday afternoon also secured the Canucks a first place position in the Western conference, and put them two-points up on the storming Bruins. It was the 17th win in the Canucks last 23 games, who also just finished a satisfying 3-0 clobbering of division rival Minnesota.

Though the game is long over, it will serve as a landmark moment for the team (and the fans) to reflect back on as the second half of the season wears on. While it may only be a single game, it brings closure to some unfinished business.

With the Bruins in the rear-view mirror, the team can look forward with a greater confidence in what they can accomplish. This is what it means to become a veteran squad.

Next up the Canucks face the deadly St. Louis Blues at 5 p.m. on Thursday, the dreadful Anaheim Ducks on Sunday at 6 p.m. and the dead-middle Los Angeles Kings at 7 p.m. on Tuesday the 17th.

Most exciting to look forward to, though, will be when the Canucks face off against their Conference Final foes, the San Jose Sharks, in their final meeting of the regular season. That match-up, like the Bruins game, is also set for an early Saturday start – this time at 1 p.m. on January 21. Mark your calendars, because this time it will be the Sharks seeking revenge.

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

SPORTS & HEALTH

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