The Cascade Vol. 20 No. 14 - May 9, 2012

Vol. 20 Issue. 14

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2012

Honey! I’m hoooome since 1993

p. 10 Cover Photo by: Kassinka Photography

Which Canadians are left in the playoffs? p 18

Louden Singletree Launch p 15

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2012

INSIDE THIS WEEK’S ISSUE News

Opinion

Arts & Life

Sports & Health

CASA no more

Dan Savage criticized for bullying

Q&A with Crystal Swells

Canucks don’t look so bad

UFV’s Student Union Society votes to downgrade to Associate membership from full membership in Canadian Alliance of Student’s Associations.

Savage, known for his contributions to the anti-bullying movement and as founder of “It Gets Better” apologizes for bullying in turn.

Contributor Taylor Johnson talks to rising rock band Crystal Swells about their new album Goeth Head Soup.

Joel Smart dishes the details on the changing public image of the Canucks after their loss, and discusses their post-season plans.

Read more on page 3

Read more on page 3

Read more on page 13

Read more on page 19

EDITORIAL

Bread and circuses raise their ugly heads paul esau

THE CASCADE

There’s a skeleton in the closet of modern civilization, a primal fear that has us checking over our collective shoulders like Will Smith in an I Am Legend remake.

The skeleton was once western civilization’s greatest triumphs, and is now one of our embarrassing family secrets. I’m talking, of course, about the Roman Empire.

In its prime, the Romans achieved a level of political and military efficiency that wouldn’t be equaled in Europe for a thousand years. In its decline the Roman Empire achieved a legendary level of hedonistic decadence which ended in mad slaughtering by scary Germanic tribesmen. The major reason for this decline in the popular imagination (besides their strange and unusual sexual practices) is that of their preoccupation with pleasure. The symbols of this preoccupation (Panem et Circensus or “bread and circuses”) are vividly present in the modern remembrance of the Colosseum, and vividly linked to fiery judgment and a bitter demise.

Bread and circuses. Pleasure and entertainment. Panem et Circensus. The phrase has become a warning to civilizations which become a little too obsessed with Pinterest, iPads, and The Bachelor,

forgeting to check over their collective shoulder for long-haired, axe-waving Vandals (the Germanic group which sacked Rome). The phrase has also become famous recently, with the wide-spread success of Lily Collins’ The Hunger Games trilogy, to which it is the moral equivalent of the moral of one of Aesop’s Fables.

Unless you also have read the books you probably didn’t see this twist coming, but in fact Collins’ whole story takes place in a nation called “Panem” and revolves around a gladiatorial “circus” pitting children against each other for the entertainment of that nation. Even the title itself, The Hunger Games, references both halves of the phrase in the same breath, and therefore gives an entertaining, post-apocalyptic romp a double meaning. The fact that the games themselves are filmed and produced for the masses in a manner reminiscent of a reality

TV show provides a not-so-subtle jab at the modern experience, and Panem’s economy resembles nothing if not a colonial West leeching less-developed economies for resources.

This is of course very clever and shows that Collins did some homework before writing her best-sellers, but there is also an unfortunate irony here just waiting to be explored. The movie adaptation of the book opened March 23 this year and (according to Box Office Mojo) has grossed upwards of $617 million worldwide. It has done this, primarily, by being an entertaining, exceptionally violent movie about good children forced to kill each other for the entertainment of an evil audience. I am, of course, referring to the audience within Panem’s capital city, not the audience viewing the movie, but is that really a distinction?

Yes, The Hunger Games is aware of this irony, and yes, the movie is meant to critique society’s pervasive need for entertainment in progressively more offensive and violent forms, but that doesn’t excuse the fact that this criticism raked in $600 million by capitalizing on the draw of this same violence. More troubling still is that the film was marketed specifically to an adolescent audience, who (although they obviously condemn the killing itself) are being

exposed to the filmed murder of children by children in the name of entertainment.

Does condemning such atrocities as abominable justify our desire to sit down and watch them?

Or have we simply found a way to pacify our guilt while still enjoying our circus, perhaps having our cake and eating it too?

My mother came home from her work at a local elementary school last month with a story about a group of children playing “Hunger Games” during recess, prompting the intervention of the school staff. Admittedly, it was more along the line of “cops and robbers” than Lord of the Flies, but it illustrates the point that some of the movie’s audience is missing even the more obvious point of the film. One can almost imagine similar scenes in the streets of Rome, with miniature gladiators “slaying” each other with stick swords. The line between message and entertainment, at least with this demographic, has already been lost.

Are you not entertained, ye masses? Are we indeed, as Collins seems to imply, ambling our way towards another Rome? And is it ironic that even understanding the irony we still perpetuate the problem?

You could bet against it, but I see $617 million saying otherwise ($11.50 of which is mine).

UPCOMING EVENTS May 11

May 7-11

May 12

May 21

Ribbon cutting at UFV’s new Canada Education Park Campus

“Can Corral” at Willowbrook Mall

“A Taste of BC’s Finest” Fundraiser in Surrey for eighth year running

May Day Parade at Fort Langley

UFV opens its newest campus in Chilliwack, which includes a library, nursing labs, a new theatre space, laboratories, and new offices for professors and administration.

This new building combines with the Trades and Technology Centre to form what will become UFV’s premier Chilliwack location. The ceremony will celebrate and thank financial and community supporters. UFV president Mark Evered, BC Minister of Advanced Education Naomi Yamamoto, and Member of Parliament for Chilliwack-Fraser Canyon Mark Strahl will be in attendance. I assume there will also be cake.

Willowbrook Shopping Centre hosts five day long hoedown in support of Hunger Awareness week and the Langley Food Bank. Over the course of five days, community members are invited to bring a non-perishable food item to Willowbrook and enjoy a free performance by five different popular country music artists over the course of the five day Can Corral. The food bank is in especial need of canned fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, stews, beverages, and rice or pasta.

Located at Semiahoo House Society in Surrey, this fundraiser boasts the best food and wine spread from across British Columbia.

There will be a silent auction, raffle prizes, live music, and dancing, and proceeds from this event will go to support Semiahoo House Society’s Recreation and Leisure Program, as well as other community programs. Tickets are available through the Semiahoo House Society and are $65 each.

To wrap-up their year of hard work extending towards a degree in Fashion Design, the students in the Fashion department are almost ready to put their designs on the catwalk. The UFV Fashion Design program will be hosting their Absolute Style fashion 2012 program on April 25 from 1:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. There will be two showings of the designs: matinee show at 1:30 p.m. followed by a show at 7 p.m. The event will be held on Abbotsford campus at the Envision Athletic Centre.

Volume 20 · Issue 14 Room C1027 33844 King Road Abbotsford, BC V2S 7M8 604.854.4529 Editor-in-Chief esau@ufvcascade.ca Paul Esau Managing Editor ali@ufvcascade.ca Ali Siemens Business Manager joe@ufvcascade.ca Joe Johnson 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 dessa@ufvcascade.ca Dessa Bayrock Opinion Editor dessa@ufvcascade.ca Dessa Bayrock Arts & Life Editor jen@ufvcascade.ca Jennifer Colbourne Sports Editor sean@ufvcascade.ca Sean Evans Photojournalist rebecca@ufvcascade.ca Rebecca Groen News Writer joe@ufvcascade.ca Joe Johnson Staff Writers Karen Aney, Sasha Moedt, Leanna Pankratz, Alexei Summers Contributors Taylor Johnson, Kenneth Muir, Nick Ubels, Tim Ubels, Jeremy Hannaford, Meghan Helmer, Ryan Peterson, Aaron Levy, Grace Romund, Daryl Johnson, Lane Anderson, Jess Wind 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 Wednesday 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, MAY 9, 2012

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NEWS

SUS pulls out of CASA full membership grace Romund

CONTRIBUTOR

The new Student Union Society’s (SUS) executive board has now voted to step down from its full CASA membership to associate membership with a vote of nine to five. This follows an earlier decision to table the issue so the board could become more informed about the role of the Canadian Alliance of Student’s Associations (CASA) as it applies to UFV students.

CASA is a higher education advocacy group with full-time staff in Ottawa advocating the needs of higher education at Canada’s highest level of government. With 26 member schools (including UFV) this past year, CASA has maintained a running dialogue with parliament on student issues, including reducing Canada’s $14 billion student debt, creating new federal tax credits for higher education students, and allocating federal monies for post-secondary infrastructure.

In this year’s SUS elections, SUS’s CASA membership was a topic of intense debate as several pre-existing members of the SUS board, as well as incoming members, questioned the price

of CASA fees paid out of the SUS budget each year – an estimated $30,000.

Former VP academic Kate Nickelchok was among those who strongly supported CASA membership throughout all discussions. Nickelchok, as VP academic, worked the most closely with CASA of all of last year’s board members; she both attended national CASA conferences and advocated the importance of CASA membership to her peers at UFV. “When I stepped into the VP Academic office … I had little idea of what to expect as head UFV delegate to CASA,” Nickelchok explained. “By the time I had finished the Western Transition Conference, hosted by SUS at UFV’s Chilliwack campus last spring, I was convinced that CASA was a partnership of which SUS and students could be proud.”

“Between national and regional conferences, I was in regular contact with CASA through phone calls, membership updates and emails,” she continued. “CASA is member driven. Meaning the organization, and its lobbying efforts are created and steered by students. I have seen positive movement both within the orga-

nization and its advocacy efforts for Canadian students.”

As part of her role, Nickelchok even spoke with important members of government about the University. “During CASA’s advocacy week I was able to meet with MPs and national decision makers, telling them stories about UFV students and the problems we face,” she said.

Meanwhile with a new board and different priorities being brought to the surface (such as a viable means of transportation for students from the Abbotsford campus to the Chilliwack campus), CASA was informed (according to their bylaws) at the beginning of April that there was a possibility that SUS would be voting to step down from their position of full voting membership in CASA (which SUS has held since 2007) to an associate membership position.

Unlike similar groups, CASA is known for its easy-in, easy-out membership which is both inviting for new members and flexible towards established members (such as SUS) who are closely reviewing their “budgetary needs.”

As an associate member, SUS pays half the fees they did as a full member, and doesn’t have

voting power in the association for one year. However, associate membership is not permanent membership. After this year, SUS must decide whether they are fully in or fully out of CASA. Two days before the issue of CASA membership was finally put to vote on April 27, CASA national director Zach Dayler and former president of the Acadia Student’s Union flew in from Ottawa to talk to SUS board members, as well as any UFV students who where interested to learn more about CASA and what it does for post-secondary students.

For the most part, it was SUS board members in attendance at the meeting gathering information on the association going into the vote.

The vote resulted in a decision, nine votes to five, to step down to an associate membership in CASA. Carlos Vidal, in his second term as SUS president, is openly in support of full CASA membership. As he stated after the vote, “I am confident that the Board’s decision will lead us to more fully evaluate the direction that our general membership would like to see us follow in regards to CASA membership and involve-

ment.”

“Until our direction from the students is clear,” Vidal went on, “we will continue to be actively involved. This change is not a step away from CASA entirely, but rather an opportunity to prepare ourselves to be more effective full members.”

Others who have been openly opposed to full CASA membership in the past, such as VP social Christian Doyle, had an entirely positive outlook on the decision.

“In my opinion this move to associate member in CASA allows both the SUS and the membership to evaluate its place in lobbying. This move will allow the members to speak out in either support or against remaining in CASA and more importantly this will allow us to see if CASA is a priority for our membership or whether they would prefer us focusing on other ventures.”

SUS’s CASA membership will continue to be a constant topic of discussion in the coming year as this new associate membership will expire in a year’s time. At that time, the issue will be put to vote a final time.

Another successful exhibition for BFA students leanna pankratz

THE CASCADE

Beginning on with an alumni wine and cheese reception, UFV’s 2012 Bachelor of Fine Arts Graduation Exhibition, themed “Soon This Space Will Be Too Small” kicked off, running from April 27 to May 17. The B Building Visual Arts Gallery plays host to the free exhibit that showcases the artwork of BFA student degree candidates.

A walk through the exhibit is a diverse and enriching experience, as viewers are given the opportunity to experience the artwork created by students graduating from the Visual Arts program.

Much like the Fashion Department’s final show, the BFA Graduation Exhibit provides students and the public with an up-closeand-personal view of the talent, creativity and passion that students put into their work for the program.

Ryan Larocque, a participant in the exhibition and a 2012 BFA graduate, spoke about his experiences with the program and in its final showcase. “I am exhibiting a series of portrait paintings that focus on the connections or disconnections between modern technology and the tradition of painting,” he said of his

Some of the works that were on display at the BFA Grad Show artwork. “I emphasize this distance through the abstraction of celebrity portrait. This is to put the project in simple terms, of course.”

This grad show was a great

success, with many UFV students and community members alike coming together to appreciate the finest our BFA students have to offer. “I have always been amazed at how put together and profes-

Image: Leanna Pankratz/The Cascade

sional the grad shows of the past have been,” Larocque said. “After all the hard work and dedication from the grad class and faculty (not just on our respective works) I am happy to see our show come

together to the same standard.”

As it goes with all graduate projects, however, the triumphant finale is always somewhat bittersweet. Larocque described the experience of finishing as “a bit surreal. I always felt that I was plugging away, but still so far away from my end goal. I didn’t realize how close I was until my program advisors contacted me to say that if I added a class I would be on track to finish and here I am – finished. It’s a neat feeling, with many emotions.”

Ever since he was young, Laroque knew visual arts were his passion. “I’ve been doing arts as far back as I can remember. I have gone through periods of playing and performing music as well as finishing a graphic design diploma in 2003 but I always knew I was going to end up doing something in the visual and creative realm.”

One of the best parts of experiencing the BFA Graduate Exhibition is the chance to see the passion for art these students have in a tangible form. The talent is raw and diverse, and students have a lot to say through the work they are showcasing. It’s just another example of the talent that is being honed daily in UFV’s various programs.

Want to be a journalist? Come write for The Cascade!

The next writer’s meeting will be on May 21 at 6:30pm in C1429

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2012

NEWS

Buddhist community slowly growing in Abbotsford grace romund

CONTRIBUTOR

Local Buddhists have been enjoying their new and semipermanent home as a part of the Abbotsford community at the Dorjechang Centre, which opened September 2011. Hoping to expand further and spread peace and relaxation to stressed and overworked university students was a dream cut short as UFV’s Continuing Studies department turned down an application by the Dorjechang Centre to teach a meditation class through UFV. Resident teacher of the Dorjechang Buddhist Centre, Gen Kelsang Sanden is a western Buddhist monk who has taught meditation all over the Lower Mainland, Vancouver and across BC. “Years ago I was at the Vancouver centre, and we were requested for classes out here [in Abbotsford], that’s generally often how Buddhist meditation classes started,” Sanden said. “I did a talk at the library and 21 people came. We thought that was a fair amount of interest and so we started a regular class at Legal Grounds Coffee House. We were there for many years; that’s where it all began.”

After coming to Abbotsford every week for a year-and-a-half, the Kadampa Buddhist community decided there was enough support for Buddhist meditation

Gen Kelsang Sanden in the main mediation room of the Dorjechang Centre in Abbotsford and the surrounding area (as classes also began and continued in Langley and Mission) to open a centre in the Fraser Valley. Abbotsford, as the epicentre of the support, was the natural choice for this new centre.

Up until September of last year, the two previous locations of these Buddhist centres were private houses – one on James Street and a second on Trinity Street, where they remained for five

years.

“And now [Dorjechang Centre] is our public face,” Sanden explained, “because before … we could meet and that, but people from the public wouldn’t feel that comfortable coming to a private house.”

The Dorjechang Centre is twice as big as any location the Buddhist community in Abbotsford has occupied before. It includes several meditation rooms of vary-

Image:Grace Romund

ing sizes, a reception area and bookstore, a communal meeting space and kitchen, as well as Sanden’s living quarters as resident teacher.

One of the main purposes for the centre is to conduct meditation classes. During meditation classes offered by the centre, the teacher instructs in Buddhist methods of meditation as a way to relieve stress, be more peaceful and happy.

While Sanden noted how pleased he and others have been at the Dorjechang Centre so far, Sanden also thought it would be natural to expand into classes at UFV. “I just thought it would be nice to be on campus for university students because people are often so busy that going somewhere else is a bit of a pain whereas if it’s right there and if fits with your classes schedule you’ll just go,” he explained.

“I think we’ve had troubles letting people know here in [the university student] age demographic.

In Vancouver it hasn’t been an issue, but Vancouver has such a young population in general …

The centre in Vancouver or the centre in Victoria has drawn lots of people from the university and we haven’t been doing that.”

Sanden had hoped that meditation classes at UFV would help students since the classes he was preparing dealt particularly with the stresses of university students and aimed to help students work towards having better control of that stress.

Although UFV’s Continuing Studies department has decided to not invite Gen Kelsang Sanden to UFV to teach meditation classes, similar “learn to meditate” classes are offered on a weekly basis at the University of British Columbia and the University of Victoria, or at the Dorjechange Centre in Abbotsford.

Agree? Disagree? Comment at The Cascade online at ufvcascade.ca NEWS BRIEFS

Image: Reuters

Socialist Hollande ousts Sarkozy PARIS (Reuters) - Socialist Francois Hollande swept to victory in France’s presidential election on Sunday in a swing to the left at the heart of Europe and promised to start a pushback against German-led austerity policies.

Hollande led conservative incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy by 51.3 percent to 48.7 percent with 83 percent of votes counted, the Interior Ministry said, bringing the centre-left back to government in Paris after a decade in opposition.

“Europe is watching us,” the president-elect said in a victory speech in his constituency of Tulle in central France. “I’m sure that in many European countries there is relief and hope at the idea that austerity does not have to be our only fate.”

Image: Chensiyuan/Wikimedia Common

image: Christine Bell / Bishop’s University

Mandatory gym class under fire at BCIT BURNABY, B.C. (CUP) — Computer Science Technology (CST) students at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) are speaking out against a physical education component of their program, a requirement not asked of students in any other program at the institute. The unusual practice has some students complaining of discrimination.

“It’s ridiculous,” said BCIT Student Association of School of Computing and Academic Studies chair Marwan Marwan. “We’re adults, we should be given the option of how best to look after our health and spend our time [at BCIT]. We’re being lined up like schoolchildren with a piece of paper for our instructor to sign, so that we can be let out of [gym] class.”

Quebec government presents new offer to students MONTREAL (CUP) — The Quebec government and the four major associations representing Quebec students have come to an agreement, which if accepted by students throughout the province, could see the end of a nearly three month-long tuition strike.

After 20 hours of negotiations, student representatives agreed to take an offer back to their memberships to vote on. The proposal would see tuition increases, but would create a council of university stakeholders that would recommend ways to cut a nearly equal amount of ancillary fees for students.

“We’re talking about a theoretical tuition freeze,” said Léo Bureau-Blouin, president of the FECQ, on Saturday, adding that “it has to be clear that the strike is not over.”

image: Reuters

Obama overtakes Romney in polls WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama extended his lead over Republican challenger Mitt Romney to 7 percentage points because of increased support from independent voters and some optimism over the economy, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed on Tuesday.

With six months to go before Election Day on November 6, Obama was backed by 49 percent of registered voters in the telephone poll, compared to 42 percent who supported Romney. In April, the poll showed Obama leading Romney 47 percent to 43 percent.

The numbers suggest Romney’s general election campaign has not yet taken off, although he has effectively clinched the Republican nomination in recent weeks when Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich dropped out of the race.

Image: Chensiyuan/Wikimedia Common

No more letter grades at U of T’s law school TORONTO (CUP) — A school within the University of Toronto could be the first post-secondary institution in Canada to eliminate the letter grading system.

Instead of the traditional A to F letter grades, a new system would see students in the faculty of law at the U of T being graded with wider-ranging honours, pass or fail decisions.

The proposed idea has been accepted at the university level. Final tweaks are being made by the law school’s dean, which will have to then be approved by the faculty of the law school.

According to faculty of law assistant dean Sara Faherty, the shift means that students will be able to further concentrate on their work without worrying over studying certain aspects of the course.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2012

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NEWS

Ocean Wise: sustainable seafood?

KAREN ANEY

THE CASCADE

Ocean Wise is a subsidiary organization of the Vancouver Aquarium and their purpose is to partner with suppliers, restaurants, and grocery stores to inform consumers about sustainable seafood sources. Ocean Wise also partners with many universities; not only do they approve food served at the institutions, they partner with them for research and development purposes. Despite its beneficial work, however, the recommendations that Ocean Wise makes could be dictated by external sources.

According to the Ocean Wise website, the organization owes its existence to a start-up grant by the David and Lucille Packard foundation. The name Packard is synonymous with Hewlett – the late David Packard was one of the founding fathers of the technological corporation better known as HP. Packard and his wife have long been involved in many different charitable organizations.

Their daughters currently act as board members for the Packard foundation. The grant to the Vancouver Aquarium from the Packard foundation was for $100,000 in 2004. The purpose stated on the grant was “For Seafood Savvy: Superb Seafood for a Sustainable City.”

The Packard foundation is based in California. As such, it may come as a shock that it ben-

efits a Canadian organization so heavily. However, as researcher Vivian Krause points out, the Packard foundation grants about $300 million per year to a variety of organizations. More importantly, her research has found that 56 organizations funded by the Packard foundation contribute towards “demarketing” farmed BC salmon, instead “swaying market share” towards the competition – namely, Alaskan salmon. In fact, Partner Relations Manager Mike McDermid states “the Ocean Wise program does not recommend open net farmed salmon.”

Fish farms are constantly drawing media attention, for a variety of reasons. However, even Krause—a former employee of the salmon farming industry— admitted there are legitimate risks involved in fish farming, though she elaborated by explaining these risks are present across the entire food production system. One such concern is sea lice: ectoparasites that feed off their host fish, living off small amounts of blood to skin and excrement. “I’ve been told there’s actually a photograph of a salmon in Norway with 900 sea lice on it,” Krause said. “It was probably dying anyway, so that’s how the lice are able to grab onto it. It’s an extreme example. It’s a potential risk, but that’s why farmers are on top of it: they’re monitoring it every week at critical times of the year and every month the rest of the year.” Further, she explained

that it’s in the farmer’s best interests to do so; losing fish to sea lice means losing income.

While Krause’s research may seem to target American funding of Canadian environmental organizations, it was inspired by concern over environmental groups omitting facts from the information they presented to the general public. She explained that there are many negative aspects of Alaskan salmon that are never really talked about. Because Alaska is too cold to farm salmon, the fish are born in hatcheries and fed pellets until they are released into the ocean for fishing – better known as ocean-ranching. The problem, Krause said, is “95 per cent of them die, so all the food pellets are wasted.”

Ocean Wise’s current stance, says McDermid, “recommends wild-caught salmon (both hatchery-origin and wild-origin) as ‘Best Choice’”. This recommendation is based off assessments from the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program. McDermid elaborates that “assessment criteria for fisheries and aquaculture and the Alaskan salmon fishery are currently being reassessed”, and that any changes will be reflected in their recommendations. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute was started by David Packard.

His daughter Julie Packard, is the current Executive Director and Vice Chairman of the aquarium’s Board of Trustees.

Krause’s research found that the Packard foundation donated $7 million to the World Wildlife Fund to help encourage Wal-Mart to sell more MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) fish. However, this does not acknowledge the fact that MSC-approved fish is overwhelmingly Alaskan, and doesn’t acknowledge the issue of ocean-ranching at all. The slogan in Wal-Mart’s policy states “Wild caught, American bought,” appealing to the American patriot.

Ultimately, while the end result of Krause’s research uncovered hundreds of millions of foreign funding dollars from foundations like the Packards, at its heart this information is about marketing.

“What they’re doing is marketing, and I see that as business, not charity,” Kraus said. “If everything they’re saying is true and charitable, it doesn’t matter where the money is coming from.”

One aspect of Ocean Wise’s practices that may eliminate unease is that the organization has very low staffing levels. Mike McDermid, partner relations manager of Ocean Wise, explained that they employ just four dedicated staff members. “As a conservation program of the Vancouver Aquarium itself, support is also provided through various function areas, as needed,” he said.

“We are certainly busy, but really, we wouldn’t have it any other way!”

Though Ocean Wise was initially created and based in Van-

couver, it has expanded across the continent. This is one aspect that may cause concern for those interested in eating locally: Ocean Wise approved suppliers span as far away as Miami. McDermid explained, however, that when finding sustainable alternatives, the search begins locally. “If there is not a sustainable option locally, then we will look further out,” he added. “There is no question that carbon footprint is an important consideration in everything that we do, but we also need to find solutions for one of the biggest challenges facing the world’s oceans today – overfishing.”

Ocean Wise produces a report each year which outlines their policies regarding wild salmon.

This report is compiled using data from both British Columbian and Alaskan industries. According to the Ocean Wise website, “the recommendations aim to identify the best choice for that given season by narrowing down to species, strength of run, stock status, management area and catch method as applicable.”

However, 2012’s report is not yet available: McDermid explained that “data still needs to be collected later this season. Once that information is available, we will publicly post that information.”

However, no previous report is readily available online.

The fight for copyright DESSA BAYROCK

THE CASCADE

UFV is in the midst of a battle.

The University has been in negotiations with Access Copyright for the last year-and-a-half in an attempt to find a middle ground between what both parties believe is a fair tariff to pay on the copying UFV students and professors do on a day-to-day basis.

Access Copyright first proposed an adjusted fee of $45 per full-time student back in 2010, since their previous agreement was due to expire in January 2011.

This was a far jump from the prior tariff, which was $3.38 per student, plus a ten-cent-a-page fee for course packs – a combined fee that worked out to about $16 a student. This cost was absorbed by the university as a whole and largely recouped through photocopying revenue and revenue from the campus bookstore.

A jump to $45 per student however, is not so easy to swallow, and it was widely believed that the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) and the Association of Community Colleges of Canada (ACCC) had a strong standing point to renegotiate to something much lower.

“The actual amount of copyrighted material that we’re actually using is decreasing,” explained Jackie Hogan, chief financial officer at UFV, “and yet this fee is

going up.”

After the University of Toronto and the University of Western Ontario both settled earlier this year at a fee of $27.50 per full-time student, AUCC and ACCC have been struggling to bring the negotiated figure much lower than that. The current deal at the table is $26 a student, something Hogan said is still very high.

“It weakened their (AUCC’s) position by having two large institutions settle outside of their dispute,” Hogan said. “Looking at how much we have been paying as an institution for the number of students we have, we’d be happy with an agreement that would keep it at or below that [current] level.”

But as time goes by, that looks less and less likely. Currently, Access Copyright has set a deadline to “declare intent to sign” by May 15, which would mean signing by June 30. It’s what they’ve declared “a limited time offer,” meaning that any university that fails to come to an agreement by those dates would be subjected to retroactive payments. Since the old copyright agreement expired in January of last year, this would mean paying a year’s worth of difference in fees.

So with a week left before the deadline, where does UFV stand?

AUCC and ACCC still have the $26 per full-time student deal on the table, which UFV is welcome to join at any time. But Hogan said that UFV isn’t ready to jump

into anything feet first just yet.

“We’re kind of a little bit playing the waiting game,” she admitted. “We’re still considering what other options we have, and whether there are other avenues that we can take.”

At the end of the day, though, UFV is going to have to come to an agreement with Access Copyright, one way or the other.

“We definitely need […] protection in ensuring we have correct copyright clearances paid, and we don’t have the structures internally to do that,” Hogan said.

“We do rely on Access Copyright, or something similar. At this point, we don’t have too many options; we think that we will need to continue to work through [Access Copyright] until something else is identified, but we haven’t made the decision to sign on to the AUCC model license, although that option is still open to us.”

It’s looking more and more likely that there is going to be an increase in this fee, no matter how it falls out. UFV has absorbed the fee in the past, but there simply isn’t enough revenue from photocopying or the bookstore to recoup what this new fee might shape up to be.

“It would have to come out of existing operating funds, which would then decrease allocations to something else within the university,” Hogan said. “It would be an additional cost.”

You probably have a U-Pass.

There are some changes. Nothing to be afraid of.

As of May 1, 2012, there are minimal changes in how you’ll recieve your next U-Pass. Instead of a separate, dedicated card, your next U-Pass sticker will be placed directly on your campus card.

“This is the way the program was originally intended to roll out,” said UFV SUS president Carlos Videl in a press release. “Many of the issues that made it difficult to have the U-Pass programmed onto the Campus Card have been addressed and we’re closer to having a one-stop-shop for UFV programming.”

Students who still have a valid MySafeRideHome credit can request their sticker be placed on the original card.

6

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2012

OPINION

Conscription haunts throughout generations ALEXEI SUMMERS

THE CASCADE

In the past months I have been living in Baker House residence on the UFV Abbotsford campus. I’m proud to say I’ve gotten to know many of the residents, and have become friends with them. They are good, friendly people from a variety of countries around the world, making the building the cultural amalgam hotspot of UFV. People come and people go from Baker House. Nothing remains constant from semester to semester.

I was sad a few weeks ago to learn that a close friend of mine would be leaving to return to his native South Korea after he received a letter in the mail from the government. I won’t state my friend’s name here given the subject matter, but the long and short of it is that my friend is going to be a soldier, due to his nation’s law that all men aged 18-35 must complete two years of mandatory military service for his country.

This is not the first person whom I’ve known who has been drafted.

He is the second. Although I did not know him personally, the first was my grandfather, Anthony Romaine, a Ukrainian immigrant who came to this country before the Second World War. He changed the family name (formerly Romanchuk) because he did not want anyone to know he was from Russia. He was ashamed of his Ukrainian roots, and when he got the draft he was more

Image: U.S. National Archrives

than happy to go off to fight for his new country to prove he wasn’t a red. They sent him to Normandy first, where he jumped out of a plane and a parachute allowed him to land safely. He survived the Normandy invasions, was recruited into Special Ops, and then sent to Italy to deal with the invading forces there. No one in my family to this day knows

what he did in Italy. He was sworn to secrecy. All we know is that he was shot, took some shrapnel to the back, and was sent home. He lived through it all.

My grandfather was a hard worker. As a child he had rheumatic fever which left him with a weak heart condition. He tried to tell the army that his heart was affected so that

they could place him somewhere that the condition would not be aggravated. They did not listen to him, and sent him into the thick of it.

A week ago I was at Abbotsford Recreation Centre with some friends, and we were sitting in the hot tub when I suddenly realized that I was soaking in the very spot where my grandfather dropped dead in 1965.

My family owned that parcel of land back then, and he dropped dead in the field when his heart finally gave way – literally exploding. The inhalation of fumes and gunpowder, all the strain and smoking, all the vigorous labour he had done for his country in the war finally caught up to him and killed him 20 years later.

His last words were, “There is something very grave about today.”

I write often on North Korea for this publication; North Korea and South Korea are constantly having skirmishes that often end in fatalities. The two nations are technically at war, although there is a ceasefire that’s been in effect since 1953. The DMZ (demilitarized zone) is the border between the two Koreas. It is the most heavily mined area in the world, and both armies constantly patrol it. Small battles often break out. People are killed. So it goes. In the words of the American Civil War General, General William Tecumseh Sherman, “War is hell.”

I know the danger the North represents to the South, and because of that I fear for my friend. The last time I saw him was a week ago. He was

frazzled beyond belief, his nerves jangled and shot. “I don’t know what I’m doing.” he remarked. The fear has been obviously weighing heavy on him.

I’m worried. I’m worried for his safety. Two years is a long time, and a lot can happen. If he had to go patrol the DMZ, or even have to sail in one of the battle cruisers along the maritime border, it would be very dangerous work.

There is not much he or I can do about it. South Korea does not take kindly to draft dodgers. To dodge the draft is to sign a social death sentence and bring dishonour to one’s family, and my friend is an honourable man. I have tried to tell him that he can apply for citizenship here in Canada, and having been here for five years, he could easily obtain resident status. He just shakes his head; it’s only a two year service period.

He will do what is expected of him.

He will go back to his homeland and answer the call.

To me, conscription is archaic.

Most countries have done away with mandatory service, and yet they do fine with just their volunteer forces.

There is no war to be fought, so why deprive young men (and women, in some cases) of two years of their lives? The wars are over now. The guns have fallen silent.

All the same, my friend will be getting on a plane tomorrow that will take him home, and everything that word stands for – for better or for worse.

Is the best defence really a good offence?

Dan Savage lashes out PAUL ESAU

THE CASCADE As creator of the “It Gets Better” campaign against bullying, sex educator and activist Dan Savage is not someone who fits the description of “bully” very well. Much of Savage’s career has been spent advocating for LGBT rights and spreading awareness of sexual issues, yet in the last week Savage has been heavily criticized – not for defending the oppressed, but instead for being one of their oppressors.

The criticism is in response to a speech Savage gave last month to a group of high school students at a journalism conference in Seattle, during which Savage branched off on a tangent criticizing the “bullshit” within the Bible, using the following words (taken from a video of the event): “We can learn to ignore the bullshit in the Bible about gay people, the same way we have learned to ignore the bullshit about shellfish, about slavery, about dinner, about farming, about virginity, about masturbation...the Bible is a radically pro-slavery document. Slave owners waved Bibles over their heads during the Civil War.” A number of students were disturbed enough by Savage’s rhetoric to leave, while others responded with sustained applause. Savage himself ended the segment by calling the reaction of the walk-outs “pansy-assed,” saying “you can tell the Bible guys in the hall that they can come back now because I’m done beating up the Bible.”

Despite the unfortunate flaws in

Dan Savage Savage’s theological and historical analysis (at least in the opinion of this writer), this is not the time or the place to delve into a theological or historical critique. The fundamental problem with his speech is not in its perspective, but in Savage’s apparent inability to recognize in himself the qualities which he so condemns in others.

There are a couple details here that are important. The first is Savage’s status as a recognized columnist, here also in the role as an influential speaker before an audience of high school students – legally still children. The second is his willingness to humiliate a minority of these students by not only describing their holy text with expletives, but also calling down derision upon their

Image: U.S. National Archrives

decision to leave the room during his speech. So much of the LGBT movement is about celebrating diversity, and so much of Savage’s work (especially his “It Gets Better” campaign) is about championing the oppressed – so why does he feel the need to humiliate these young men and women simply for disagreeing with his opinion?

The answer, according to Savage himself, is a matter of self-defence. “I apologize if I hurt anyone’s feelings,” Savage continued in his speech,”but I have a right to defend myself.” Anyone familiar with the inflammatory nature of Savage himself and his various campaigns will agree that he has faced heavy criticism, sometimes violent, and he has a right to defend his views against the attacks

levied against him, yet one has to wonder where Savage considers the line between defence and offence to fall. As a figure of authority speaking to a roomful of young adults, many of whom are cheering him on, who exactly did Savage consider to be the immediate threat? Who, ultimately, was he defending himself from while he was mocking the actions and opinions of a select group of students?

Some will say that he was making a point to a larger community, perhaps enacting a small portion of justice for what he himself has faced over the years, yet it is hard to argue conscientiously that victimizing one group is just retribution for the sins of another. J.J. McCullough of the web comic Filibuster put it best in commenting on one of Savage’s earlier antics involving Google and Rick Santorum, stating “two wrongs don’t make a right. If it’s wrong to bully young gays and lesbians simply for who they are and what they believe, as Dan Savage rightly holds, then it should be equally wrong to use those same tactics against innocuous critics of homosexuality. The idea that the appropriate response when encountering people with whom you disagree is to harass and belittle them until they recant in a position of weakness and shame is a stance as abhorrent as the luridly well-documented tactics of certain fanatical gay ‘fixing camps’.”

This quote is obviously not meant to belittle the struggles which Savage and the communities he represents face, just to conclude that the most important goal of any activist should be to rise above the cycle of reaction

and injustice, rather than to perpetuate it. In a different venue, addressing opponents that have indeed attacked him, Savage’s comments could be construed as defensive, yet in context they can be seen only as an aggressive belittlement of a vulnerable minority. In this instance Dan Savage became the bully that he so loathes, and in doing so lost the opportunity for a meaningful impact on a group of young adults.

Savage did attempt to apologize on his blog (SLOG) after the incident, yet his statement reads more like a rewording of the argument rather than a withdrawal. While he apologized for using the term “pansy-assed,” his comments about his theological analysis ends with the following: “I did not attack Christianity. I attacked hypocrisy. My remarks can only be read as an attack on all Christians if you believe that all Christians are hypocrites. Which I don’t believe.”

This is essentially saying that anybody who does not agree with Savage’s theological views is a hypocrite, and therefore his attack (now aimed at hypocrites rather than a religious community) was fully justified.

Humility is the mark of a strong leader, Dan Savage, and humility is about respecting your opponents enough to give them the dignity of an apology when you step beyond the bounds of conscionable behaviour. The students who were brave enough to walk out—as well as many of the rest of us—are still waiting for that apology.

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2012

7

Well, it has to be someone’s problem DARYL JOHNSON CONTRIBUTOR As I frantically attempt to register for any classes taking place over the summer 2012 semester, I can’t help but feel punished – as if I’ve done something wrong by wanting to attend classes over the summer. Punished!

I’m sure by now you’re saying something along the lines of, “Why would your chosen academic institution punish you for taking classes?”

I understand your confusion. I will focus my feelings into words and hopefully by the time you finish reading the aforementioned words, you will begin to understand the same impotent, disillusioned hopelessness I have come to associate with UFV’s summer semester. Or lack thereof.

First, let’s back up a bit.

Why does one attend university?

In my experience, those who make the life decision to attend university do so from a stance of selfimprovement, and with the hopes of a form of self-actualization, which should, ideally, lead to a career path that satisfies more than the wallet or bank-account. We choose to attend university with the goal of being satisfied with who we are personally as

Image: Stuart Pilbrow/Flickr

well as our place in the world around us. We attend university to contribute to the betterment of our community and therefore our society as a whole.

If you agree with me so far, the next part of this article should come as a bit of shock to you. With any luck, it will spur your thought process in holding your chosen academic institutions accountable – in this case, when it comes to the classes offered year-round and not just during peak periods.

Being a relatively new student at UFV, I expected to be waitlisted for

a few classes this semester; I simply have a later registration time than other students. I’m okay with a later registration time. However, as I sized up my options, I quickly noticed that almost every class I was hoping to attend this summer was in one of two states: full and closed to registration, or with a waitlist ranging from 15 to 47 students in length.

This is unacceptable.

Students want to learn, and in order to learn they need a few things.

They need books, and reliable transportation. They need safe and secure lodgings, groceries to feed

their brains and, one more thing … classes. Students can’t even be students without classes. All the other requirements are up to the student, and are fairly easily managed – but classes can only be provided by the university, and this is where UFV has dropped the ball.

To add to this mess, the most important part of securing aid is being registered in classes; being unable to register in classes equates in not being able to secure funding. Not receiving aid can result in potentially losing your lodgings, a situation I now find myself in. How do you get out of such a vicious circle?

It doesn’t matter; at least, that’s how I feel after attempting to secure my place in any classes I want or need to attend this summer. It seems, on the surface anyway, that UFV’s attitude is of the “it’s not our problem” ilk.

However, I’m not a man of great wealth, nor was I born in to a family whose situation allows them the freedom to pay for my classes. I’m reliant exclusively on student aid to not only pay for my tuition, but also to pay for books, supplies, lodgings, groceries and other extra costs I incur along the way through each semester. If I were unable to obtain student aid this semester because I

was unable to register for any classes, I would find myself in a dire situation, facing the reality of having to leave town and find a free place to reside for the next four months; I believe if this were to happen, it would have a profoundly negative effect on my decision to continue with education, it would definitely cause me to reevaluate UFV as my academic institution.

I feel it’s safe to assume there are dozens, if not hundreds of students in an eerily similar situation to mine. Can’t find satisfying employment, can’t find satisfaction at university and are forced to live a life of hopelessness, a life of mediocrity and struggle; avoiding a life like this is the precise reason most people choose to enter an institution of higher learning. If you’re a student who can identify with my situation, even if only a small amount, I implore you to write, call or physically vocalize you dissatisfaction with the UFV summer semester. For that matter, I implore you to contact UFV when you’re dissatisfied with any of your expectations, related to university guidelines, are not met; this is a prime example.

Ikeatown: utopia or autocracy?

LANE ANDERSON

CONTRIBUTOR

Have you put much thought into where you want to eventually live?

Maybe you’ve never considered leaving the Fraser Valley because it has always been your home. Maybe you’re open to any dot on the map regardless of the borders you may have to cross.

If you’ve thought about it you’ve likely come up with some community aspects that are fairly important to you in deciding where to “settle down.” This is something my wife and I discuss often, and we’ve settled on some fairly important criteria for our future home. We want a yard, a close and friendly community atmosphere, nearby parks and schools, decent transit, the ability to walk or bike to work and essential shopping, a respectable arts and culture scene, proximity to the ocean, and a lot less rain.

It doesn’t seem like an unreasonable list until you start investigating a few possible towns and cities and realize that such an ideal little community rarely exists; if it does, it is horrendously expensive.

I don’t think these criteria are unusual for the average person. There are certainly variations on the specifics but, for the most part, I think that a large portion of our population would love to live in a community like the one I’ve described. But for it to be possible, the civil engineers, infrastructure planners, residential developers, and commercial developers would have to work harmoniously. This is a difficult arrangement because of their divergent individual interests.

Enter LandProp – a part of the Inter IKEA Group.

Ikea (because that’s who is really behind this) has purchased 26 acres of London to create an entire com-

munity they have named Strand East. They say they’re “not just building another ‘development’,” and that it’s “about creating a neighbourhood.” The site is the derelict docklands adjacent to the London 2012 Olympic Park, and is set to open as a new community in 2013.

Strand East will be a community of 6000 people with residential living integrated with community centres, offices and workspaces, parks, retail, restaurants, and entertainment.

There will be excellent bus access as well as a revival of water taxis on the surrounding waterways. The community will have a system of walking and cycling paths and an enormous underground parking garage to keep the streets car-free. Power will be supplied by a hydroelectric plant and waste will by handled by a system of underground suction tunnels.

Strand East will be composed of 1200 homes designed for a broad range of budgets and preferences.

The idea is to attract a mixed demographic – from working singles to families to retirees. The 620,000 square feet allotted for offices and workspaces will have an emphasis toward creative and digital companies. All of the retail will be nonchain businesses (refreshingly, but ironically), and Ikea insists they will not have a store there. Also, a quarter of the land is devoted to open space, such as parks, courtyards and piazzas, to nurture a sense of community.

One more thing; Ikea will remain the sole, private owner of the entire community.

All tenants will rent the homes and business spaces. The purpose behind this is to stop people from outside of the community buying and reselling at an inflated price – Ikea wants to maintain reasonable prices. It also prevents owners renting out the homes and living

Image: Architizer

elsewhere; the fear being that the community would degrade with uninvolved landlords. But in this megalandlord model that Ikea wants to apply, the corporation retains the right to accept or deny—in a way, censor—every applicant to the community, giving them immense control over the composition, aesthetics, and even activities of Strand East.

Is this another dangerous step toward a brand-controlled world?

There certainly seems to be a frightening element of autocracy. Or, is this model of central control a good method for bringing intelligent, holistic design practices to new neighbourhoods?

So many of our existing communities are comprised of offices and workspaces in one location, residential spaces in another location, and shopping somewhere in between. With this current model we are bound to our cars or, at best, to public transit to work, play and shop.

Why can’t our houses, our places of

work, our grocery stores, our schools and parks, and our hospitals all be integrated into one harmonious community where everything can be reached by walking and cycling instead of hopping in the car, bus, or train? When people use their cars instead of using the sidewalk, it makes any hope of a tight-knit community very difficult. Some neighbourhoods have even done away with sidewalks completely.

I think for this redesign to be possible there needs to be one central planner that oversees all aspects of a community as it is built, rather than allowing residential developers, commercial developers and city planners to work independently and without cooperation.

This is what Ikea is doing. But are we ready to live in communities designed and controlled by corporations?

I have heard discussion recently about where to draw the line for corporate sponsorship and involvement

in certain development projects. In Vancouver we have Rogers Arena and the Telus World of Science. SFU renamed their faculty of business administration the Beedie School of Business after a $22 million donation by industrial real estate developers.

UBC’s new Earth Systems Science Building will be called the Goldcorp Teaching and Learning Wing after the mining company donated $5 million to the project. Even these examples don’t sit easily with me, but how would we feel about rushing into ER at Johnson & Johnson Hospital, or the next generation of teens attending Red Bull Secondary School?

Are we comfortable with this level of corporate involvement?

I am interested to see what direction developers take over the next decades, and this project by Ikea is one especially intriguing avenue that we might see more of – which could be either positive or negative.

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www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2012

OPINION

Spring and the relationship status The problem with the Quebec protests DESSA BAYROCK

THE CASCADE

I think it was Shakespeare that said spring was for lovers, or maybe (since I can hear the phrase echoing in my head in a vaguely Scottish lilt) it was Robbie Burns. One way or another, our poet hit the nail on the head. Warm winds are blowing, and nothing makes you want to hold hands with someone more than those cute little blossoms sneaking their way out of the ground. As a friend of mine recently remarked on Facebook, “must be spring, relationship statuses just comin’ out of the woodwork.”

It’s a cute enough sentiment: Everything is growing, so why not love between two people?! D’aww! Yet, it’s one that I ultimately take issue with. Not with the spring-is-for-lovers idea (which I just looked up, and, to all of our surprise, is apparently a poem by Edwina Reizer.). I think it’s a fact of life that we want to get busy in the spring. My problem lies, instead, with the relationship statuses of Facebook.

This beef has several parts, the first of which is pretty simple. Apparently, if I don’t declare it on the internet, my relationship isn’t real.

When did “Facebook-official” become “official-official”? I’ve been hounded time and time again by friends and family (and friends’ family) to finally “make it official” and share it with the great wide world of Facebook. Do I have to? I don’t think it’s necessary, or even really beneficial. That little heart icon is a titch too nauseatingly cute for me, thanks.

Why would you want to place so

much meaning in such an insignificant heart hyperlink, anyway?

I have a short parable to share with you. In my high school days, when Facebook was still relatively new, a friend of mine changed his relationship status from “single” to nothing at all, deciding to no longer showcase his relationship standing by taking it off his profile altogether.

Facebook translated this move into an update that appeared on all his friends’ newsfeeds, reading, “X is no longer single.” He was subsequently hounded for weeks about the identity of his new significant other, despite this significant other being non-existent.

This is sad on a couple of levels: first of all that he was forced to explain, time and time again, the extent of his own aloneness. Secondly, the fact that the majority of his Facebook friends didn’t, apparently, know him well enough to realize there was no new lady in his life.

I decided a long time ago that I didn’t want to list my relationship status on Facebook for a couple of reasons. If I’m in a relationship with someone important to me, it’s something I can share with friends and family myself, without any help from Facebook.

It goes like this: if you’re close with someone, and see them on a regular basis, these sorts of things come up in conversation. It’s a natural process, and it guarantees that you control who you want to know things about yourself. You share things with people you’re close with, and it’s casual and easy. You have a conversation about what you’re studying, where you’re working, who you like to hold hands with, etc.

Facebook, on the other hand, is a one-way avenue: your profile shouts things at your friends, and they shout things back at you. There’s no real communication – just a proliferation of information. This is a huge downfall of Facebook; we’re drowning in information, at the lack of basic human interaction. I know more than I want to about a lot of people, because this one, drunk time I decided to friend them on Facebook. They clutter my newsfeed. They tell me (and the world) why they broke up with who they broke up with, and in the same breath tell me what they had for lunch.

Think of this, then, as my refusal to clutter up your newsfeed. If you care enough to ask, I’ll tell you who I’m seeing and how serious it is. It won’t even take a minute – but it will take real, human interaction.

I’ll even ask about your love-life. We can have an exchange. Compare, contrast, laugh about the stupid little cute things our relationships have in common. We can talk about how conducive spring is to date night. It’ll be fun, and it’s something that Facebook will never be able to replace.

Piracy: labels hate it, artists love it LEANNA PANKRATZ

THE CASCADE

Piracy: It’s a Crime. This statement has perforated our ears since the advent of digital music. It serves as a warning to those to dare to share – music or movie files, that is. Services like Napster, Limewire, (and the recent Lime replacement, Frostwire) have all served as contributions to our need for (and let’s be honest here, folks. I know we all do it) free media files – all unfortunately falling victim to the fact that the music industry really doesn’t like its consumers downloading free songs.

An increasingly popular choice among our media-savvy population continues to be Swedish website The Pirate Bay – self-described as “The galaxy’s most resilient BitTorrent site.” Resilient it is, my friends. So far, the unabashed website has outlasted many of its predecessors and fellow torrent locales in the race to stay in the game. The Pirate Bay has also proven to be a buffer of success for young, aspiring artists who are able to advertise for free on the website.

While some may strongly argue against such websites for inhibiting capital gained by artists and the businessmen behind them, several artists themselves have expressed their utmost respect for The Pirate Bay in particular – shattering all illusions of getting paid, and attempting to ground themselves in the public eye as lovers of music, first and foremost, rather than business. This is a

move that no doubt has left record companies shaking in their Italian loafers.

Artists, it would appear, don’t need big labels any more.

George Barnett, an independent artist featured worldwide on The Pirate Bay, states in a blurb alongside his music (available for free!), “When people ask if it is legal, I say, yeah. I own the masters, and the rights. I’m not tied down to a label, and I can do whatever the f**k I like. Thank you Pirate Bay.” “We do this for fun, and ultimately for the love of the culture - something the big record labels certainly do not,” states The Pirate Bay’s elusive Winston to the online publication, TorrentFreak.

Local students and music consumers also have something to say about the availability of free product.

“I love music,” states Matt Thiessen, a 21-year-old UFV student who keeps The Pirate Bay at the top of his bookmarked websites. “I am a guitarist in a newly formed band,” he continues, “and can really think of no reason why I wouldn’t want our songs available for free download on a website like The Pirate Bay. The one thing any music artist yearns for is exposure – for people to ultimately

Image: Simon’s Photography

know about, and want to listen to the music we produce.”

He motions to a file on his laptop that holds his multitudinous finds from websites like The Pirate Bay. “It’s not just the platinum artists I’ve downloaded here. A lot of this music comes from unknowns, not unlike myself, who just want to share their music with the world for the love of the craft.”

While there is little economic merit in advertising a new band to a demographic already perusing a website for free product, one cannot argue with such statements that uphold the purity of the art.

I can’t think of any reason why a young, unestablished artist would turn their face away from free exposure of any sort. The Rihannas and Britneys of the world may not approve, but I certainly see a bright future for young, fresh artists looking for a way to get their names, and ultimately, their melodies out to the crowds.

Image:Nicolas Quiazua/Le Delit

SASHA MOEDT

THE CASCADE

How would you protest a 75 per cent tuition increase? Imagine, for a moment, that UFV students and other students across the Fraser Valley are united in anger at the government, and are willing to get organized and protest huge tuition hikes.

What steps are appropriate, and how effective would they be?

There’s been a lot of discussion about whether Quebec students should be complaining about their tuition hikes. They have the lowest tuition rates in Canada at $2519 per year, and even with the increase, Quebec would still be one of the most affordable provinces to pay tuition in, even with a 75 per cent increase. So why is that so hard to handle?

Yet this argument misses another point: taxation. Quebec is heavily taxed, third most expensive province in terms of taxes in the country, with the majority of the total taxes being provincial. Consider that the funding of universities are mostly provincial or territorial taxes; it seems that Quebec students do have an argument.

So how do you protest these tuition hikes? If Quebec students cannot afford them, and if they believe the hikes are not necessary, then they should have every right to protest. Not to get too big-picture here, but we are a generation that is going to have to protest, change, and take action often. There’s some messed up stuff happening, and we’re the generation that has to deal with it.

Protesting these tuition hikes is a start.

But have Quebec students maneuvered this protest carefully enough? There are various reports of violence and misdirected anger coming from newscasters covering the protests. According to a news article published in The Ottawa Citizen, students are turning against each other. Many students are boycotting classes and clashing with others who have chosen not to do the same. In a CBC article, a student is quoted as saying “it’s not just tuition increase; the movement has grown to include other things we don’t agree with.”

This is clearly misdirected action.

I believe you have to tread carefully when protesting. When you act, be direct, be firm, but do it right and plan it well. The point of the protest is to draw attention—the right kind of attention—and create change. The Quebec government is the one who will change, but to force their hand the students must get the public on their side. Violence and damage to

public property is not the way to go.

The Quebec students have the numbers. They don’t need the violence. Things too easily get out of control when there’s a large group of angry people. When the police get involved, it turns the protestor psyche into a bad guys (police) vs. good guys (students) situation, and it only gets worse. Get in a big group and start wearing masks, and a basic knowledge of human psychology tells us that things can go downhill fast.

If the Occupy protests told us anything, it’s that organized protests can draw a whole lot of attention, but if there is no direction to protesting, nothing much will happen. It’s easy to get angry about something, and then while you’re in the mood anyway, add in a few other things. It happens to everyone; it’s like a rant.

But no one takes rants seriously, it just gets too comical when things start going off in all directions. Quebec students have to keep things clear, direct, and firm. Deal with other issues later; keep your eyes on the tuition hikes now.

If I were a student in Quebec organizing protests, I would treat the protest like I was writing a play. I would need to get the attention of my audience, the Quebec populace, but not through violence or ‘shock value’ methods – as the older population might see it. Get rid of the masks; tone down the clashing with police and violence; protest peacefully; have walks in huge numbers that are absolutely silent to represent students unable to afford university who are now shut away from both education and an academic voice; use social media; keep calm, but not submissive.

The most important thing is to omit every weakness and to leave nothing to be criticized by those who oppose you. If you give them enough fodder to pick apart the protests, they can easily avoid discussing the issue at hand. The Quebec protests have brought a firestorm of governmentsupporting opinions that focus only on the protest methods, not on the issue itself. There are arguments that skim the surface of the issue, relying on a “those spoiled brats” argument to discuss the folly of the protests.

These are numerous, and useless, and the movement can’t afford them.

They have to be careful about the face they’ve put on the protest.

There’s no foolproof recipe for a successful protest; nothing’s ever black and white. But I wish good luck to the Quebec students. I sure don’t envy them.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2012

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ARTS & LIFE

CROSSWORD 1

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CONTRIBUTORS

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3. Musical spoof’s DVD feature spoof (10, 3, 7 letters) 5. Lowest-rated TV drama to get a renewal from a major American network in 20 years (9 letters) 6. Whedon’s first of many comic books, published in 2001 and set in the far future of the Buffyverse (4 letters) 8. First vampire with a soul and his own spinoff series (5 letters) 10. Appeared briefly as Wesley Wyndam-Pryce on Buffy and for most of Angel’s five season run (6, 7 letters) 13. Small California town that sits on top of the Hellmouth (9 letters) 15. Serenity’s wise-cracking pilot (4 letters) 16. Whedon got his start as a staff writer for this ‘80s sitcom (8 letters) 17. Spike’s childlike and slightly unstable paramour (8 letters).

18. She appeared in Angel, Firefly, and Dollhouse. (6, 4 letters)

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7 9

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TIM UBELS & NICK UBELS

ACROSS

4

8

Meet Joss Whedon!

DOWN

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16 17

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EclipseCrossword.com

Aquarius: Jan 20 - Feb 18 Don’t feed the bears.

1. Upcoming Shakespeare adaption and first release of Whedon’s new micro studio Bellwether Pictures (4, 3, 5, 7 letters) 2. He aims to misbehave (7, 8 letters) 3. Inara’s occupation (9 letters) 4. Buffy’s go-to hangout (3, 6 letters) 7. Nickname for Buffy’s circle of best friend sidekicks (3, 8 letters) 9. High school librarian and Buffy’s tweed-sporting Watcher (5 letters) 11. Sympathetic baddie Billy Buddy’s evil alter ego (2, 8 letters) 12. Whedon co-authored this breakout Pixar feature (3, 5 letters) 14. Terrible and elusive raiding crews who “reached the edge of space, saw a vasty nothingness... and went bibbledy over it” (7 letters)

LAST WEEK’S Answer Key Across 3. Salt 5. Mirror 6. Friday 8. Penny 11. Witch window 13. Umbrella 14. Horseshoe

Down 1. Ladder 2. Four leaf clover 4. Black cat 6. Full moon 7. Ivy 9. Rosemary 10. Grimm 12. Crows

The Weekly Horoscope Star Signs from Madame Mystique Gemini: May 21 - June 21 You might be feeling a little blue lately, but children and animals are able to bring you joy.

Libra: Sept 23 - Oct 22

You may be feeling a little tense.

Lay off the extra-large coffee with double espresso.

Pisces: Feb 19 - March 20

Cancer: June 22 - July 22

Scorpio: Oct 23 - Nov 21

Keep up a positive outlook if you are seeking new opportunities in career or education.

You’re seeing things in a new perspective, and without the aid of 3D glasses.

Budget carefully and you will be rewarded tenfold.

Leo: July 23 - Aug 22

Sagittarius: Nov 22 - Dec 21

Right now is a good time to travel if you can manage to get away.

Good luck is with you in the next month, just don’t push it.

Aries: March 21 - April 19 Tread lightly. Someone close to you is looking for an argument!

Taurus: April 20 - May 20

Virgo: Aug 23 - Sept 22

Be careful with delicate work, you are feeling pretty accident prone.

The end is near! Well, the end of that big project you’ve been struggling through.

Capricorn: Dec 22 - Jan 19 You may feel like staying at home more and avoiding pressures, but it is not the right course of action at the moment.

Visit us at www.monktucky.com!

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FEATURE

UFV FASHION SHOW2012 KASSINKA PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTOS

WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2012

WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2012

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FEATURE

Photo by Joel Smart

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2012

ARTS & LIFE

Dine & Dash:

1105-20631 Fraser Hwy, Langley 604.530.3511 Hours: Mon to Fri: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sat and Sun: 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Tues: closed Cost: Below $15

RYAN PETERSEN

CONTRIBUTOR

With appetite and bemused friend in tow, I hit the trail to find delicious and affordable eats. This week takes me out to Langley as I try the much talked about sushi emporium, Maru. I do not know, dear readers, what it is that makes North Americans so addicted to the strip mall set-up, but again I find my purveyor of Nippon-style delicacies smack dab between a Weight Watchers and a Laundromat. How charming. But not to worry, the clever owners of Maru have taken the guesswork out of distinguishing between their establishment and the surrounding merchants by plastering large pictures of fish and sushi on their

Maru Japanese Restaurant

windows.

After making certain that we had not wandered into the dietitian’s facility, we were greeted with a friendly hello and the wonderful surroundings of quintessential Japan, at least as far as the Western eye is concerned. The establishment was decorated with small plants and trees and plenty of traditional artwork. The seating arrangement was split between private booths on the outer edge of the restaurant to smaller booths centred in the middle. Both outer and inner booths were done in light pine wood. The overall effect created a somewhat busy yet cozy atmosphere for diners.

With a quick glance over the menu—and considering the unseasonably cool weather we have been having—my friend and I decided upon Miso Soup (a warm savoury soup made with fermented soy paste and garnished with green onion and tofu—much more delicious than it sounds) to start.

We decided to follow the Miso Soup with Agedashi Tofu (deep fried tofu), Hamachi Yaki (fried yellowtail), Spicy Crispy Tuna Roll

Image: Ryan Petersen

(deep fried spicy tuna roll) and the Sexy Roll (because when a restaurant goes to the trouble of naming a roll that, you eat it).

My only qualm with this wonderful eatery was that the appetizers came out after the main rolls and the delicious miso soup did not come out at all. The soup was missed, but my friend and I were too busy sampling the delicious rolls to bother ourselves with it much.

The Cascade Cookbook

The Agedashi Tofu was delicious, and enormous, in both serving size and proportion. I had to perform some chopstick scissors action just to pick up a piece. The silken tofu was luscious in a crispy skin and well worth running the risk of garnering any disproving looks from servers for using my chopsticks is such a fashion.

The rolls were wonderful. The Spicy Crispy Tuna Roll had a great spicy taste that paired well with

the tuna’s mellow delicate flavour – and who doesn’t like things deep fried? The Sexy Roll was my favourite of the two. It was loaded with salmon, avocado, smoked eel and dressed in a tangy teriyaki sauce.

Since salmon and avocado offer such a smooth and creamy flavour, they are a perfect match, but the eel brought a depth of flavour with its smoky, fatty nature that was complemented by the tangy teriyaki. But the piece that garnered both of our attention and praise was the Hamachi Yaki. The grilled fish was delicate with a crisp flesh and an amazing flavour when dipped in the sweet lemon sauce that accompanied it.

The service was friendly, the atmosphere pleasant, the food delicious and prices below $15. Even taking into consideration that lost soup, I would more than happily go back to Maru in Langley for another meal. Incidentally, having fogotten a camera I drew a picture of my friend and myself at the restaurant enjoying some lovely sushi. I hope you enjoy it. Take care, dear readers.

Drink o’ the Week Purple Hooter Shooter

Alicia Williams’s Soda Pop Cake!

As Alicia Williams, I enjoy countless activities at UFV. I am a member of the MACS student group and a work-study/volunteer/host of two radio shows (GRLGRMS and Mood Swings) at CIVL Radio. I enjoy music and painting; I don’t enjoy presentations or awkward silences. Someday, I plan to graduate.

“This cake is a super delicious, moist cake. It’ll have all your g4m3r friends saying ‘moist cake is moist.’”

Ingredients: Box of cake mix (I get whatever is on sale) Can of soda (if it’s diet it’s not so fat to eat) Directions: -Buy items and then go home.

-Set oven (in the kitchen) to whatever the cake mix box says to.

-Open cake mix.

-Dump cake mix into bowl big enough (use your own judgement here).

-Open can of soda and pour into bowl that has the cake mix in it.

-Stir until it is kind of smoothish (it will be lumpy, it’s always lumpy…).

-Have a cake pan and like, spray that oil stuff on it so that cake doesn’t stick.

-Pour batter into oiled cake pan that is big enough for the cake to rise and stuff.

-Then bake it, duh!

Tasty enough shot, but still strong enough to put hair on your chest. ½ oz vodka ½ oz raspberry liqueur ½ oz sweet and sour mix* Splash sprite

*You can use diet pop or regular pop for this.

You use clear pops (7up, Sprite, Gingered Ale, and the like) for white cake mixes. You use dark pops (Root beer <3, Coke, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper etc) for chocolate cakes. ALSO! You can top ‘er off with some whipped topping, if you’re feeling fancy! Oh yeah and if you wanna get like, entertaining-the-Queen-fancy, you can add your favie pudding to the whipped topping, then it’s flavoured!

Cost: It’ll cost like five bucks if you cheap out on the whipped topping. Or like $10 if you do get it. Maybe $12 if you spring for the pudding too!

Plus tax… always plus tax.

Pour ingredients into an ice-filled cocktail shaker.

Shake. Pour into shot glasses. *To make sweet and sour mix: combine 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar in a saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves; bring almost to a boil and remove from heat. Add 1 cup fresh lemon juice and 1 cup fresh lime juice. Chill.

Image: Anthony Biondi

Ideal for: Bar night Bad for: Breastfeeding On The Cascade scale: B+

WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2012

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ARTS & LIFE

Q & A: Crystal Swells 1 2 3 4 5

Shuffle

CHARTS

Apollo Ghosts Landmark

AARON LEVY

CIVL DJ/NOT OLD

Grown-Ups Spare Time

Aaron Levy is the station manager at CIVL Radio 101.7 FM, and this semester he’s got some Canadian summer jams for you to rock out to.

The Courtneys DEMOS Real Boys Real Boys

Elvis Was a Blonde Elvis Was a Blonde (new, self-relesed)

Len – “If You Steal My Sunshine”

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Androgynous Mind Nightstalker

Image: Crystal Swells/facebook.com

Certainly the most polished Canadian release—summer of 1999—winning a Juno for best single and infecting eardrums across the world; too bad we never heard from Len again, or is it? For a band whose singers share the surname Costanzo, at least they went out on a high note.

Grimes Visions Chains of Love Strange Grey Days Plants and Animals The End of That

Snow – “Informer”

Frantic Flintstones Freaked Out and Psyched Out (Drunkabilly Records)

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The Dandy Warhols This Machine

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Ane Brun It All Starts With One

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Spiritualized Sweet Heart Sweet Light

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Purity Ring Obedear

School of Seven Belles The Night

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Tan Lines Mixed Emotions

Joshua Hyslop Where the Mountain Meets the Valley

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Rococode Guns, Sex and Glory

Sure, you don’t actually know what he says in the chorus before “I go blam” and “I leekie boom boom now?” Ok, fine, you don’t really know what he says at all in any of the song other than the chorus word “informer,” but this song was an instant classic.

Gob – “Soda” You may know this song better by it’s chorus of “I want to jump in a lake, sun shining down on a beach in the summer.” Langley’s own went on to cover the Rolling Stones and redefine pop-punk for the Canucks and Treble Charger, but don’t hold that against them.

Sloan – “The Good in Everyone” I know, most Sloan fans would say that “Money City Maniacs” (“Hey, you, we been around for a while”), or “If It Feels Good Do It” should be Sloan’s entry to the summer music megalith, but here we go a little further into the crates with this 1995 classic. Ooooooooh...

TAYLOR JOHNSON

CONTRIBUTOR

I was lucky enough to sit down with two members of the up and rising rock band Crystal Swells: Joel McDonald and Nick Price.

The band most recently performed tracks from their new album, Goeth Head Soup, May 6 at the Astoria in Vancouver. In this interview I was given an inside look into the loud, fast-moving lives of the band members, discussing their pasts, presents and soon-to-be futures.

What got you into music?

Nick: Well, what made me get into music was Joel being into music.

We went to high school together and he had a punk band when we were 14-15. I saw them play and I wanted to do that too.

Joel: My dad played guitar and when I was about 11, I wanted to play guitar, so I ended up taking lessons, and it spiralled from there through trial and error.

What is a value you base your music off of?

Joel: Well my parents always told me [that] this isn’t a career and you can’t rely on it, and you know what? That honestly has been the best advice because people who try to do music as a career take on a world of compromise. They just start compromising their ideals and their sound because you’re no longer making music to have fun and enjoy it. You do it more because you need a paycheque.

Keeping in mind that it’s just a hobby and it’s just for fun ensures that I don’t start playing really bad bar rock. We try to live within our means and not blow a lot of money into this as well.

What was the hardest part when the band was getting started?

Joel: I think that it’s hardest to find like-minded people. It’s a real benefit that I have found three other guys who are into the same things as me. Finding people can definitely be a barrier.

Did you guys have someone musically you looked up to or who

inspired you?

Joel: Bruce Springsteen Nick: Doug Marsch Can you describe the sound of the album in three words?

Joel: Well, loud… loud definitely has to be one of the words… loud and DIY – I guess we can count that as a word. Not punk because punk is such an overused term. If we just say we’re punk then we are giving this blank canvas. Oh yeah, and loud.

On the album, you have a song called “Waco Wasilla Waikiki.”

What is the meaning of that title?

Nick: I think we wrote that in the height of the American elections with Sarah Palin; she was from Wasilla. At the end we all yell “drill, baby, drill,” which is my favorite Palinism. It was meant to be a big American critique, but it didn’t come together exactly.

And Waco was like the crazy side.

Then it’s compared with Waikiki which is like paradise. In the end it ended up just being a big party song, but we had grander ideas of what it should have been, but it still turned out to be this awesome banger.

the stage is really big and dumb; it’s kind of the big dumb stage. I would rather play on the floor.

When you’re onstage who is the most likely to randomly do something crazy?

Joel: Definitely not Tim or Ross, it would either be me or Nick. We usually try to do each other up occasionally.

Nick: I have done some crowd surfing while playing the guitar and I licked Tim’s face, but he needed to shave.

Joel: But I climbed up a really big speaker once.

Nick: It’s becoming an escalating thing and one of us is going to end up dead. But we never do anything violent.

How do you guys feel about the title you were given as an “Indierock” band?

Nick: I don’t like that; Indie-rock doesn’t mean anything anymore.

Joel: Yeah, it has definitely been used inappropriately. The sound means music that’s produced individually and a lot of it isn’t, but that’s not a big deal.

Do you have anything specific that helps calm your nerves before a concert?

Joel: Our one guitar player has been working a lot so we haven’t been able to rehearse a lot. Sometimes that can make you nervous, but sometimes that can make you excited. If we over-practice sometimes we can play worse than when we haven’t practiced for a week or so. We don’t really get stage fright since we’ve all been doing this for so long.

Have you guys ever had a really bad show?

Nick: No, not really. We have had more good shows then bad

What are you most looking forward to about your concert at the Astoria on May 6?

Joel: This show I am really looking forward to because all the other bands are the bands that we like and it’s kind of nice to play with other bands that you like.

Joel: Just be yourself and have fun, attack it.

Nick: My only concern is that

Do you have any advice for people who want to start a band or get into music, but who are either too scared or don’t know what to do?

Nick: I think everyone should have a band. We should all have a band. We should all learn three cords and just start a band.

If you would like to see Crystal Swells check out musicwaste.ca for concert dates or www.bandcamp.ca for downloads.

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2012

Mini Album Reviews

SoundBites

ARTS & LIFE

Chains of Love Strange Grey Days

Royal Headache Royal Headache

Norah Jones

Little Broken Hearts

Beach House Bloom

Strange Grey Days is an uneven debut, which puts Vancouver’s ’60s throwback girl group Chains of Love in a strange position. The album presents no distinguishable variation to a well-worn genre, adding to the glut of bands doing a very similar thing.

Perhaps standout tracks like “All the Time,” “I’d Rather Be Crying,” and “Lies Lies Lies” offer a glimpse into future recordings or maybe they signal a one-off detour – only time will tell.

The album’s dark and brooding retro pop songs are often bogged down with gritty production and added noise that only serve to hide the brilliant voice of lead singer Nathalia Pizarro.

Producers are often recognized as the true creative force behind debut records, but Strange Grey Days proves differently. Most of the tracks are left sounding shrill and raw, unable to realize their full “Wall of Sound” potential.

However, Strange Grey Days is a lovely album in its own right, and should be required listening for any Phil Specter fan. Despite a debut that doesn’t blow the lid off tradition, Chains of Love remains one of Vancouver’s most exciting prospects.

Royal Headache is a band that takes the cathartic pleasures afforded by elemental rock n’ roll seriously. On their self-titled debut LP, the Australian garage rock standard-bearers storm through a dense, 26-minute set of instinctively brilliant pop tunes presented in limb-flailing, punk rock glory. From the gleeful abandon and scratchy power chords of “Never Again,” the band’s fast-paced, hardnosed appeal is undeniable. It is Royal Headache’s unschooled zeal and front man Shogun’s raspy, soulful yelp that set the Sydney foursome apart. The band is inspired by Stax as much as the Ramones or Black Flag, a garage rock act that rightly aspires to the untamed swagger of notorious Animals’ vocalist Eric Burdon. Shogun’s vocals are at their best when likewise untempered and raw, like on the “yeahs” that pepper the end of “Down the Lane.” But his voice switches from gruff to grating when he descends into a faux-British punk sneer on “Pity,” a tone that just doesn’t work for the group’s sensibility. What does work is the way Royal Headache fills the aural space with an unshakeable sense of the ephemeral, human quality essential to the genre.

Like Alabama Shakes or Danish hardcore label-mates Iceage, the razor’s edge vulnerability of live performance is a way for the band to rally against the encroachment of empty, digital perfectionism.

Having followed Jones’ work from her very first album, it has been rewarding to see her prove her ability to grow stylistically without leaving herself or her audience behind. Her debut album, Come Away With Me, is quiet and bluesy, which evolved into more of a jazzy feel with Not Too Late, and has now landed us here at Little Broken Hearts. The music itself still focuses on Jones’ simple guitar-pianobass recipe, but the final ingredient— Jones’ smoky, smooth vocals—have been tweaked and supported with a funky, almost Mobyesque distortion effect. The tracks blend together into one long musical motion, the ups and downs of which bring to mind the movement of a wave. Her lyrics, as always, are the perfect mix of poetic and light-hearted, making this album perfect for almost any mood or time of day. Jones has once again delivered the goods, creating a perfect album for summer evenings and enjoying a beer at the lake.

Beach House was formed in Baltimore, Maryland back in 2004. Bloom is the band’s fourth album, and they have definitely stayed true to their indie genre; listening to the band is more of an experience than anything else. Obscure vocals are accompanied by avantgarde instrumentals which creates an unlikely listening experience for new listeners. The album is very experimental as it challenges generic sounding melodies; if you are looking to hear something that will make you dance, this album is not for you. Bloom takes on a melancholy tone that doesn’t exactly exclaim “here comes summer.”

Beach House is most definitely not for everyone as the band seeks out a targeted audience. The new album certainly lacks the ability of grabbing my attention, as I personally find it to be too depressing. However, I give the band props for staying honest to their authentic style and staying focused on experimenting with sound rather than selling out.

TIM UBELS

NICK UBELS

Album Review JESS WIND

CONTRIBUTORS If you are anywhere near primetime on Monday nights, you’ve seen the ads for the latest musical dramedy on television. No, not Glee: The College Years, but close. NBC’s musical within a musical, Smash, has released their soundtrack featuring original songs from the show as well as numerous covers. It could easily be called Katherine McPhee ft. her costars as McPhee lends her voice to over half of the 13 tracks.

The first song on the album is McPhee’s long awaited single “Touch Me,” which doesn’t appear in the show until episode eight.

Its sexy club tone will attract buyers until they realize that it is the only song on the album that feels this way. A quick glance at iTunes proves this; the album, which launched on May 1, reveals immense popularity for the single and considerably less interest for the rest of the ballads and Broadway tunes.

For those that do venture be-

yond the first track, songs two through eight are covers of popular singles. Listeners will recognize Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful” (sung by McPhee), Michael Buble’s “Haven’t Met You Yet” (sung

by Nick Jonas) and Florence and the Machine’s “Shake it out” (also sung by McPhee), among others.

Megan Hilty, McPhee’s nemesis on the show, gets two believe-inyourself ballads by Jessie J (“Who You Are”) and Carrie Underwood (“Crazy Dreams”), but it is too bad that they are squished between McPhee singing “Stand” (originally Donnie McClurkin) and “Beautiful.” The first half of the album falls flat for both fans of the show and folks searching for exciting covers of already famous songs.

Eventually, at track nine, the original music from the show begins: Broadway-style tunes about Marilyn Monroe. It is at this point in the album that a story seems to emerge and it would be fair to consider the last five tracks separately.

Hilty starts with “Let me Be Your Star,” a track that highlights Monroe’s early years in the business.

Then McPhee brings us “20th Century Fox Mambo” which moves into the lengths that Monroe went to for her fame. The story continues with a warm duet by Hilty and Will Chase (acting as Monroe and Joe DiMaggio) dreaming of a normal, fame-less life. Then on to “Let’s Be Bad,” again by Hilty and the album closes with the pairing of Hilty and Chase for one more love ballad. By the time the album finishes, you have forgotten where it began.

Hey, wait a minute, what about the other 30-plus songs that have been featured on the show? Unfortunately many of the more “comedy” flavoured tracks didn’t make the cut – a feeble attempt at sticking to a common theme? Viewers are, no doubt, feeling less than fulfilled with the seemingly random selection of songs for this first soundtrack from the show’s pilot season; non-viewers won’t make it past the first couple of songs, if they even care to purchase the entire thing.

NBC’s The Music of Smash comes off feeling confused and divided,

DESSA BAYROCK

PAIGE HOBLAK

The Music of Smash

a bad compromise between the show’s pop singles and original music. A select few of the songs

shine on the album, but here’s hoping a second release is not far behind.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2012

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ARTS & LIFE

Haute Stuff LEANNA PANKRATZ THE CASCADE

Spring is here, summer is fast approaching, and the time is finally right to break out the sunglasses in a seasonally appropriate manner.

I am stoked. Women’s sunglasses this year are hugely diverse, and men’s aren’t far behind with a slew of looks all their own.

Here are a few of my choice sunglasses trends for summer 2012, and I really hope they’re here to stay: Women: Cat Eye: These have unexpectedly come back with fervor this season, ranging from slim, 1950s throwbacks to larger, more fashion-forward shapes that still retain their classic, golden age air. Unmistakably feminine in the right style, they can be paired with a wide range of outfits for an immediate style boost.

Gradient Lenses: It seems that retro sunglasses are the rage. This look can be traced back to ’60s flower children and ’70s go-go girls. Even better when the lens boasts a unique colour such as light orange or yellow, gradient lenses begin with a darker hue at the top, and lighten at the bottom. The effect is high fashion, and cannot be worn without the right

Sunglasses for him and her

amount of edge.

Bright Frames: Runway shows from Ralph Lauren to Gap have also boasted a wide range of colourful plastic frames that are sure to pair well with any summer look.

These add an instant quirky style to everything from a sporty swimwear look to a feminine summer dress. Bright frames look fabulous when paired with a round shape and a lens that is not too dark. The key is to keep bright frames looking light and fun.

Men: I have noted in my perusal of store windows that men’s sunglasses are just as diverse, varied, and detailed as their feminine counterparts.

Wayfarers: Ray-Ban. While they’re ultimately unisex, on a man they are timeless and sexy, lending an outfit an unmistakably summer/casual vibe that one can really not get wrong. These can be classic in black, retro in tortoise, or quirky/edgy in bright shades of yellow or green. You really can’t go wrong with Ray-Ban. Get some.

Browlines: Slightly retro, yet modern if pulled off correctly, this style has a bold upper frame that highlights the eyes. It is a strong

Image: planetc1/flickr.com

look that is best paired with a defined, tailored style. A man very dear to me recently bought a pair of these, and while my opinion may be slightly biased, I have been fully impressed by their classic wearability.

Aviators: Originally created for men, this is another look that has

The Louden Singletree does it again JOE JOHNSON

Cat Eye: This one is a little bit of a stretch for most men, but with the right amount of sartorial finesse,

the cat eye frame can be successfully translated to menswear. This look is best described as “quirky” and is certainly not for the gentleman lacking a touch of daring. Cat eye frames on a man should be a little more understated, and with a little less of a “swoop” than the female version.

Seventeenth annual DFEST attracts larger audience than ever before DESSA BAYROCK

THE CASCADE

The Louden Singletree, that prestigious collection of literary works which has brought a certain level of sophistication to our university, has once again outdone itself. This year’s publication, which was officially launched at AfterMath last month, marked the fourth edition since the literary magazine was conceived in 2008.

The kickoff event was a celebration for all the hard work put into it by the contributors, editorial board, and anyone else that had a hand in making it happen.

The campus pub was impressively packed that night and according to the Louden Singletree’s faculty advisor Andrea MacPherson, “The launch at AfterMath in early April was the most successful launch the Louden has seen! We were all very excited about the attendance…” And while the editorial board acted as a great host, the real draw were the few who came up on stage to read their published submissions – ranging in style from serious to comical with everything else in between.

But what was perhaps even more engrossing was being able to finally open the pages of the fourth Louden Singletree. It allowed for the rest of us to catch a glimpse into what had flowed from the minds of our fellow UFV students over the course of 17 poems and seven pieces of fiction.

It wasn’t all about the written, though. The Louden is also a medium for visual arts, as can be seen by opening to the middle

branched off into the unisex category. Made famous by Tom Cruise in Top Gun, this style is at once classic and sexy on men, as it highlights the cheekbones and jawline in a way that other styles can’t.

THE CASCADE

spread. And it was that multitude of artwork, including the painting printed on the cover, which was prominently displayed along the AfterMath stage.

The readings, in total, took approximately a half-hour to go through, but the rest of the night went on simply as a celebration.

Behind the scenes, to make the Louden happen this year, were six impassioned people who made up the editorial board. MacPherson, whose duties include working with each year’s board, said that when choosing the members they look for those “students who have experience with the Louden Singletree, students who are passionate about writing and publishing and want the practical experience of putting together a literary magazine.”

And as the aptly named “Issue No 4”—as written on the bottom of the cover—demonstrates, the 2011/2012 board has completed their goal. As MacPherson stated, “The quality of the magazine is really impressive. We have strong

writers and excellent student editors. This year had the greatest variety of genres of all the issues.”

But like all else, as good as this year’s Louden was, there are still areas to improve upon. Mostly, that would include seeing an even greater breadth of subject areas. While submissions have always consisted mostly of poetry, MacPherson would appreciate having a greater showing from “some of the genres that are often overlooked – creative non-fiction, drama, children’s lit, excerpts from novels in progress” and that, “we’d like to see more art submissions from VA students! The cover, as well as the selected pieces within the magazine, [provide] a beautiful compliment to the text.”

And now with the new Louden board being put in place, the expectation will come of them to meet or exceed this year’s publication. But as we’ve just witnessed, the talent at UFV is great. So it is with admiration that many will be anticipating what will come next year.

Boasting two stages, four visiting schools, 23 UFV directors, and the opportunity to see somewhere in the neighbourhood of 50 plays over the course of five days, it’s safe to say that the 17th annual UFV Directors’ theatre festival was a rousing success.

The festival (DFEST) was the culmination of several months’ hard work on the part of students, actors, directors, and faculty in the department. Overall, 63 shows (at two or three performances each) pulled in an audience of about 4000 over the course of five days – a record for the festival.

DFEST is a great experience for students to showcase pieces that couldn’t be performed as part of the regular season, either due to content or length. As Ian Fenwick, festival coordinator, faculty member, and founder of the theatre program at UFV, put it, “it’s a real wide range of plays. Some are suitable for younger audiences, some are very edgy… It really reflects the interests of the students.”

Waiting in the lobby in a break between shows, it was impossible not to feel the energy. Actors mingled with audience members and students from visiting schools, including several universities that contributed pieces to DFEST as well as secondary schools that came by the busload for a daytrip of culture.

“It keeps growing,” laughed Ian Fenwick. “When we started with our first directing class, I thought,

Image: Rick Mawson

well, let’s invite other schools around the province—other universities and colleges—to join our students in a similar experience… and that’s how the Directors’ Festival started. It’s really a celebration of student talent.”

And the UFV theatre department is quick to say that the fun isn’t over – The Droning of Bombers, a play that debuted at last year’s DFEST and has now been workshopped and shined into a piece in and of itself; it opens at the UFV theatre on May 31 and plays until June 10.

After a brief hiatus over the summer, the 2012/13 theatre season will start again in early November with Kaufman and Hart’s 1930s comedy Once in a Lifetime, followed by Tomson Highway’s Ernestine Shuswap Gets Her Trout in January and Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice in the spring – ending, of course, with the 18th annual DFEST this time next year, which promises to be bigger and better than ever.

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2012

ARTS & LIFE

FILM REVIEW

The Avengers

MICHAEL SCOULAR

CONTRIBUTORS

Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), who due to the crowded nature of the hero meet-up are only given a scene or two that isn’t tethered to the progression of plot and the spitting out of comic book jargon.

Narrative slog involving reheated plot details from almost every mega-movie of the past decade aside, once The Avengers gets going it is the end of the superhero world spectacle it sets out to be, with one continuous shot showcasing each action idol at their most pose-worthy, summing up why this movie exists. Further orchestrations fulfill their duty by showing everyone involved dancing out of scrapes and into revivals of fan favourite moments.

The problem is that in its culminating flashes and climatic rescues, The Avengers is throughout a prolonged introduction. It’s the same story a decade into the rejuvenation of comic book interest, making this the least varied of all the genres. We’re forever being teased about the next installment, with hints at future relationships and building of character that won’t be on full display until the next one, which might but prob-

Thor and the Cap

ably won’t break the cycle of the same tired narrative we see here.

For all its CGI glory, it can’t resist the same pointless ending and beginning anew of hero-villain relationships. Whedon is just another link in the chain, continuing a growth that isn’t selective or purposeful besides stretching into infinity.

“What happens if we get into a situation like this again?” As if there’s any doubt, Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury’s response is “They’ll come back again. Because we need them to.” A pan across a series of monitors records the aftermath of public opinion in the minutes following the Avengers saving the day. You too can adopt one of these viewpoints: concerned parent, jubilant fan, aloof unbeliever, converted follower, reassured citizen craving consistency. They all owe it to the great acts of the realm-spanning heroes, grateful in any case to be saved.

Why do they prefer them to the subjugating doctrine of the villain of the piece (Tom Hiddleston)?

“It’s in your nature.” Or at least, they’d like to keep it that way.

Discussions Below the Belt Why YOU should attend this year’s sex show VIOLET HART

THE CASCADE There’s been quite the hullabaloo lately about our local Taboo Naughty… but Nice Show at the Tradex. Originally, the show, which was to take place in March, was cancelled, but after the resulting outcry it was rescheduled and is now taking place on May 11-13. Was the cancellation a publicity stunt or CanWest’s genuine response to conservative protest?

Hard to tell, but needless to say it’s brought the show a lot of attention.

Now, unsurprisingly, sex shows get a bad rap. Most people assume that a convention with the word “sex” in it is going to be lewd and trashy, to say the least. And you know what, I’m sure a lot of them are. But the Taboo show has no onstage orgasm contests, nor is Ron Jeremy running around pinching porn stars’ boobs. On the scale from Vanilla to Holy #*$& XXX, the Taboo show is definitely vanilla, with maybe a few sprinkles.

The sex show is so controversial

The Dark Knight: Golden Dawn JEREMY HANNAFORD

THE CASCADE

Joss Whedon might seem the logical choice to helm The Avengers for, based on his intermingling television productions and his recent attempt to see through the horror genre, accumulated narrative is what he gravitates to. The Avengers franchise has taken up five movies to build to this cumulative production moment, but for Whedon, that means the weight of expectation and commitment to prior work in the series takes precedent over whatever signature writing style or narrative leaps might be expected given his repertoire.

No more is this clear than in how The Avengers begins, with re-introductions to allow for newcomers and reminders of movies better left forgotten for those who saw these same characters summers ago. Captain America: The First Avenger is reduced to a six shot flashback, showing all that movie was ever meant for, and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is brought up to speed by a series of screens showing snippets from the other introductory blockbusters. A single shot was all Whedon needed in Serenity.

Duty, soldiering, ideals of the past and present are brought up and like all of the mindless tête-à-têtes turn out to be diversions from the real stakes, so the question is why this conglomerate of solid principles feels the need to dabble in questions it has no interest in bringing to any sort of conclusion. Weapons of mass destruction and clean energy appear and vanish like the buzzwords they are. If there’s any flicker of life in the extended sequences of arms-crossed deliberation and bickering, it’s in the anachronistic, foreign, and reclusive charms of Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and

Book Review

that each year when you walk in you have to pass protesters. Thus, it’s a bit of a surprise to realize once you’ve entered that everyone has their clothes on and—shockingly—the majority of people there are married couples in their 30s and 40s! Don’t get me wrong, there’s a number of hot 20-somethings walking around enjoying the show – but even they are wearing normal clothing. Folks there to make a sexual statement are the exception, not the rule.

Most people are just there to enjoy themselves – check out the products, watch the shows and, most importantly, learn about sex.

It just seems like a regular trade show. Hardly the scandalous den of sin you’d expect from the protesters out front (who I doubt have actually been inside). It’s a bit of a letdown, actually, if you were anticipating something terribly risqué. The show obviously caters primarily to straight, monogamous couples whose idea of “kinky” is a blindfold and a pair of handcuffs.

But hey – it’s Abbotsford. That’s

the demographic. And it’s great that there’s a show out there for those who are seeking to improve their sex life but aren’t comfortable with an XXX type event.

Now, if you’re into sex toys and lingerie, the show is worth it just for the booths. They have a ton of stalls with products from speciality adult stores from all over. We’re not talking about your average dildos here either. This place has everything. Even more importantly, some of the deals you can find are insanely good; I particularly recall a booth from Alberta last year that had silk corsets for $20-$30. Now how do you beat that?

The shows are fun too, and no, nothing like what you’d expect from a peeler bar. If the women doing pole dancing strip (and many don’t), they keep their bottoms and tops on. Nor is stripping the focus; watching the pole dancing is more like watching a Cirque de Soleil show. The acrobatic feats by these women are just stunning.

Also, while some of the women are modelling lingerie in the fashion

With Bruce Wayne finally redonning the cowl, David Finch creates a new tale about the original Dark Knight fighting crime in Gotham City in his new graphic novel Golden Dawn. The art style and visuals are detailed and crisp and adds a new edge to the lore of Batman. However, his artistic skills don’t help his storytelling as Golden Dawn is nowhere as eventful as it could have been.

Bruce Wayne has finally returned to present time Gotham after he was thought to have been killed by Darkseid in the Final Crisis finale. Instead, he was blasted back in time and had to slowly get himself back to the present. In his absence, Dick Grayson, aka Nightwing, took up his former mentor’s title and became the new Dark Knight. This spawned an interesting Batman & Robin series written

by Grant Morrison featuring Bruce Wayne’s arrogant son Damian as the new Robin.

By bringing back the original man of night, writer David Finch is tasked with reconnecting us with Bruce and his dedication to being Batman and why he is ready to take back the position that Dick Grayson has been holding for some time. In this new adventure, socialite Dawn Golden has been kidnapped and no one has any leads on her whereabouts. Committed to a childhood memory of her, Bruce Wayne obsesses himself with finding her.

With all the hype that was surrounding David Finch’s entry into the Batman universe, people were expecting an intricate tale to work alongside with Grant Morrison’s Batman Incorporated story arc.

However, Golden Dawn is flat and uninspiring. Problems litter the story from the sudden importance of an unknown character as well as the convenient inclusion of Jason Blood, aka The Demon Etrigan.

Dawn Golden is introduced as a girl who, despite having never been heard of until this comic, has a special spot in Bruce Wayne’s childhood memory because she stole his kite and let it fly away.

shows, others are modelling pretty dresses and shoes. So again, not what you’d expect, but very classy and enjoyable.

The seminars, however, are the main reason I urge people to check out the Taboo show. Some of them are pretty basic, but again, considering the demographic, I say that’s a good thing. All of the speakers last year were fun, knowledgeable and, best of all, set people at ease. There’s nothing worse than an awkward sex workshop. The potential to learn and come away

Unlike past female attachments to Bruce, she has no individuality and is just another scared woman in a small dress. Her presence is as bewildering as her father’s evil brotherhood of demon worshippers.

Rather than building a new story based on self-obsession and redemption, it is merely based on coincidence and moves on that until there is nothing left to do except change the comic’s story direction to something that actually matters.

The dialogue and story-turn play out like an ’80s cop movie with numerous clichés and gimmicks.

Bruce Wayne is supposed to try to convince himself and the world that he is still the Batman, but this aspect is overshadowed by this unimportant relationship between Dawn and himself.

If there are any positives to be found in this graphic novel, however, it is definitely the beautiful artwork – the characters and surrounding environment that David Finch and Jason Fabok pencil in engrossing detail. The color and quality of the prints are superb with clear illustrations of the actions and events that take place in the comic book. While the artwork does not hide the weak story, it definitely is a great book to look at.

Disappointingly, it is a mere 100 pages long. With a steep price tag of $30, the length is underwhelming. To give the illusion that it is a thicker copy, the novel features collections of stories from Grant Morrison and David Finch to help fill the pages. Another reason why the novel is so short is because the series is still ongoing, yet instead of waiting until the arc was complete, DC Comics put together what little had been made so far and packaged it together at a highly unfair price.

While it has incredibly engaging visuals and textures, Dark Knight: Golden Dawn is as bland as they come with plot-holes and clichéd situations. It is great to see a Canadian like David Finch get to work on the Batman Universe, but it looks as though he might have bit off more than he could chew by taking on both the role of writer and penciler.

with healthy new information to improve your sex life is just priceless.

The name of this show is more than apt. Yes, it’s “naughty” but it’s definitely still “nice.” The average mature adult will find nothing appalling here, and a lot to enjoy.

Ignore the hype, and see for yourself what Taboo is really all about.

Cascade sex-columnists Johnny Roddick, Tits McGee and I hope to see you all there!

WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2012

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SPORTS & HEALTH

Health Kick: energy systems KEN MUIR

CONTRIBUTOR

Finding the right sport for you can be a tumultuous process, especially as a young adult. Many an athlete first joined their sport as a child, simply because the current of their life happened to push in that direction. A chance field trip to the local gymnasium, for example. Joining a soccer team through the insistence of a well-meaning parent, and so on.

If the proverbial glove fits, that child may never leave their first sport. Young adults interested in getting into a sport have more power in guiding their own destiny, but this enthusiasm can be complicated by the sheer number of different sports available.

The Summer Olympics alone house 27 different sports. If you are thinking about getting into a sport as summer approaches, you won’t be left wanting for choice. Though in a previous article I laid out some example sports that may interest a reader based on their fitness goals, in this issue I’ll go further and categorize some sports that rely on different energy systems.

Energy systems are pathways your body uses to release energy.

Which pathway gets used most depends on the intensity of the movement and its duration of time. Though every energy system is used simultaneously, most sports more heavily rely on a specific energy system, and can be categorized as such. And you can very well make a choice on which sport most suits you based on its energy system: in Top Gear’s interview with Usain Bolt, the world record holder and gold medalist from the 2008 Beijing Games in the 100m dash, Bolt commented that he switched to the 100m from the 400m because “the training was too hard [for the 400m]. The training was really intense. You get something called lactic acid.” He opted for a sport that doesn’t produce lactic acid and instead uses the following energy system: The (Alactic) Anaerobic System Anaerobic means “not aerobic.” Aerobic, of course, means “uses oxygen.” Therefore, anaerobic means “does not use oxygen.” Alactic means “does not produce lactic acid.” Alactic

exercise occurs within the first 10 seconds or so of movement, and allows for an extremely fast release of energy. This energy pathway is often described as one responsible for “explosive” movements. It functions through the use of stored adenosine triphosphate (ATP, the energy molecule), and phosphocreatine. As expected, sports that depend on explosive movements also depend on this energy system.

If three-rep max bench press is your favourite exercise in the weight room, then the following sports may be for you.

• • Weightlifting Weightlifting • • Wrestling Wrestling • • Tae-kwon-do Tae-kwon-do • • Golf Golf • • Short-distance Short-distance running run(such the as 100m ning as (such the dash) 100m dash) • • Baseball Baseball • • Judo Judo The (Lactic) Anaerobic System Lactic exercise uses glycogen (sugar) stored in the muscle cells to generate energy. Though the

energy release is slower than in alactic exercise, meaning explosive movements are less possible, the energy system can last much longer. As I discussed in a previous article, your glycogen stores can last up to two hours with appropriate conditioning, at which point you “hit the wall.” When the body demands more energy than this process can normally supply through the use of oxygen, lactic acid is formed as a byproduct of the low-oxygen environment. Your body can continue to function this way without oxygen for approximately 60-120 seconds before it gives way to the aerobic system. A large majority of sports rely on the lactic anaerobic system: • • Most sports (basMostteam team sports ketball, hockey, etc.) etc.) (basketball, hockey, • • Sprint SprintCanoe/Kayak Canoe/Kayak • • Boxing Boxing • • Handball Handball • • Middle-distance runMiddle-distance running ning(such (suchasas800m) 800m) • • Table TableTennis Tennis • • Swimming Swimming

ergy system when other alternatives are either unnecessary or have been exhausted. This system uses glycogen stored in the muscle, as well as fat to release energy. The breakdown of fat into energy is a comparably slow process, but the upside is that fat is a nearly unlimited resource in the body, and it—as well as glycogen—will continue to produce energy as long as there’s enough oxygen present. This system is therefore most relied upon in lower intensity activities that last for a very long time period.

• • • • • cling • • • • •

Marathon MarathonRunning Running Long-distance Long-distanceCycling CyBiathlon Modern Pentathlon Biathlon Triathlon Modern Pentathlon Triathlon

Now that you’re educated, you should be able to make a more reasoned choice of which sports most appeal to you, so get out there and do it, while we still have this occasionally sunny weather.

The Aerobic System This is your body’s go to en-

Heat Report: Abbotsford enjoying some much needed post-season action SEAN EVANS the cascade

Many hockey fans in the Lower Mainland had expected a long playoff run from their hometown team – they just didn’t know it would be the often-ignored team from Abbotsford. The Heat turned it on at precisely the right time of the year, and swept past the Milwaukee Admirals in three games straight in the opening round of the postseason. The Heat now find themselves down two-games-toone in the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs.

The Heat came into the postseason riding a seven-game winning streak, and continued to rush past the Admirals, outscoring them 14-6 in the short three-game series. The key to the early success in the opening round of the playoffs has been simple: the best players on the Heat have been their best players. They have stepped up. To put it in a way that the average reader will understand, the Ryan Kesler, Cory Schnieder and Henrik Sedin of the Abbotsford Heat have played up to their potential. It has been quite refreshing, actually, to watch a team play their heart out – and be rewarded for it.

Krys Kolanos led the way, notching four goals and four assists in the three-game series. Ben Walter is averaging over a point a game, and defenceman Clay Wilson had two goals and three assists in the opening round. Goaltender Danny Taylor stood tall, allowing six goals in three games – not amazing numbers, but good enough to win. It’s exactly what

image:abbotsfordheat.com

the Heat need to do in order to grow their fan base.

The second round of the playoffs is currently underway, with the Heat facing off against the Toronto Marlies (affiliate to the Toronto Maple Leafs, an organization not currently known for postseason success – or appearances, for that matter). The Heat got off to a solid start against the Marlies, defeating them 3-1 in Toronto.

They then lost games two and three, however, by a combined score of 9-2. Abbotsford now sits down 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.

All is not lost, however. The Heat know that they can beat the Marlies, as shown in game one

of the series, and in the last two games of the regular season in which the Heat took down the Marlies by a combined score of 8-4.

The problem in this series will be painfully familiar to fans of the Vancouver Canucks; the Heat are currently 0-16 on the power-play.

This has really limited the offensive sting that the Heat have had at times during this season. For whatever reason, the Heat have been held off the board with the man-advantage.

Heat forward Guillaume Desbiens commented on the struggle after the game in an interview with The Vancouver Sun. “I felt like we were controlling the puck in

their zone a lot but we didn’t put the puck on net enough,” he said.

“I feel like if we put a little more traffic, a little more pucks on net, I think our chances and our shots will be a lot higher.”

The answer is cliché, yet true.

Which is how clichés become cliché, I guess. The Heat need to get more shots on net, and shots on net that are not taken from the outside. In game two, the Heat put 37 shots on net, yet saw only one goal for their efforts. It is clear that they need some better quality chances.

The Marlies goaltender, Ben Scrivens, has been good, but is by no means unbeatable. The Heat have simply not put second or third chances toward the net.

Moving forward, there is somewhat of a question of who will start in net for the Heat. Danny Taylor, who has won four of five playoff games this postseason, watched game three of the Toronto series from the bench. Leland Irving, who took his spot between the pipes for the first time in the postseason, played well but failed hold the Marlies off in the 4-1 loss.

Irving allowed an energy-sucking wrap-around goal just 58 seconds into the game.

“A little rusty to start,” said Irving following the loss in an interview with The Vancouver Sun. “I was excited to get in there though.

It was a big game. Any pro athlete loves being thrown into those situations. Unfortunately it didn’t go our way tonight.”

Head coach Troy Ward did not hint at who he would start the next game, but made it clear that he did not pin the loss on Irving’s play.

“He was good. I liked him. I liked him a lot … He made some big saves. I think he felt very comfortable. For him, it’s like riding a bike.

He’s been doing this his whole life.” Whether Taylor will get another shot on the bike remains to be seen, as the Heat try to climb out of a 2-1 deficit to continue their postseason run.

Game four is set for a 7 p.m. start on Tuesday, May 8, at the Abbotsford Entertainment and Sports Centre. Game five, the following night, is also set for a 7 p.m. start at the same venue. Should the series be pushed to a game six and seven, they will take place May 12 and May 13 respectively, in Toronto.

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SPORTS & HEALTH

The good ol’ Canadian game

Claude Giroux Philadelphia Flyers

KAREN ANEY the cascade

Yeah, the Canucks are out. So are the Senators. There are no Canadian teams left, and no one wants to get up at 6 a.m. to watch the World Championships. For those of you without PVR, watch some NHL hockey instead – it’s still great! Here’s a list of good Canadian boys on each team left in the playoffs that you can root for on your new team of choice. And yes, this list is in order. It’s in order of teams I felt like talking about at that moment. Thanks for asking.

Shane Doan Phoenix Coyotes

The Phoenix Coyotes have the most Canadian players of any remaining team. Plus, they’re a total underdog story. The good folks at Disney are currently bidding for rights to the run, actually.

On to Mr. Doan. He was born in 1976 in Halkirk, Alberta. He was the last player drafted to the old Winnipeg Jets before the franchise moved to Phoenix; that’s one reason to cheer him on.

This could very well be his last season as captain of the Coyotes franchise – his contract is up at the end of the year, and he isn’t exactly a spring chicken. He seems like a good guy: he won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 2010, which is awarded for leadership on and off the ice and a significant contributor to the community.

Also, he’s only had one suspension in his entire career. Oh, and if religion’s your thing, he’s a good Christian boy; his parents run a Bible camp, and he writes “Romans 8:28” on his sticks.

Mike Richards Los Angeles Kings

Yeah, they kicked Vancouver out. Maybe if they win, it won’t be so embarrassing? With that straw firmly grasped, let’s take a look at Mike Richards from Kenora, Ontario. You know this kid’s Canadian, because as Alexandre Burrows pointed out, he loves snow.

He was the captain of the Philadelphia Flyers during a time when the media “threw the team under the bus,” as stated by Richards.

Sure, they were thrown under said bus because of excessive partying and losing games, but you still have to feel bad for the guy. At press time, he’s second on his team for points and third for penalty minutes. Oh, and according to his NHL36 show, he has a dog with whom he shares ice cream. Aw.

Braden Holtby Washington Capitals

Many Vancouver fans are looking for a hero here, because while the Capitals deserve to be cheered for ousting the Big Bad Bruins from the playoffs, looking at Alexander Ovechkin’s mug long enough to see if he made a good play is difficult to stomach. There are a few Canadian heroes to find here: centre-man Brooks Laich, from Saskatchewan, is only a single point behind Ovechkin. But, underdog stories are more fun, so Holtby it is. Because of injuries to the regular Capitals goalies, this 22-year-old from Lloydminster helped his team win the Boston series despite having played only 21 NHL games beforehand. He even brought a game to triple overtime last week. Though they ended up losing, that’s pretty good for a goalie that was playing in the AHL until a month ago.

Travis Zajac New Jersey Devils

Brad Richards New York Rangers

This is the guy that took over the first line centre position when Richards was traded to the Kings in March. More importantly, he’s the guy that spends his time lighting up boards.

In the regular season, he ranked second in the league for assists and third for points overall. Think of him as Henrik Sedin, minus the ginger hair. He’s won the Bobby Clarke Trophy two years in a row, which is given to the Flyers MVP. He’s from Hearst, Ontario, which confuses everyone that thought he was from Quebec. He scored six goals and eight assists through the first six games of the playoffs. Translation: he’s one to watch if you want to see some points.

This 26-year-old from Winnipeg comes from a hockey family. His dad played for the University of Denver, and two of his brothers play for the Albany Devils – an AHL team. Though he regularly centres captain Zack Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk, he was out for the majority of this season after injuring his Achilles tendon. He is currently breathing a heavy sigh of relief that all water-themed teams are out of the playoffs.

Hailing from Prince Edward Island, he’s one half of what’s possibly the biggest bromance in the NHL. Yes, I just used that term. He and Lightning player Vincent Lecavalier have been friends since the age of 14 when they were roommates at boarding school. It was Lecavalier who suggested to the Lightning that they draft Richards. No word on whether he thanks Lecavalier monetarily for this assist. He goes back to PEI every summer, and in 2010 he donated half a million dollars to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown. Oh, and he’s leading his team in points right now.

Yeah, Wikipedia says that lacrosse is Canada’s national sport. But realistically speaking, in this corner of the country at least, hockey reigns supreme. Our Canucks are out, but the NHL is still overwhelmingly Canadian. Support the sport that we grow best, and if anyone tries to call you out on not cheering for your own team, tell them they’re un-Canadian. As Don Cherry would say, these are all good. Canadian. Boys. And even though our Canucks are out, hockey still rocks. View accordingly.

So Luon(go), farewell: where will he go?

SEAN EVANS the cascade

As a die-hard, green-and-bluebleeding, un-ashamed homer, my first response to the Canucks early departure from the post-season was to find the positives. The first I could find: Roberto Luongo will ask for a trade. Let’s be honest, Luongo is a great goalie, but Cory Schneider is the future. Much younger, and not locked in to a contract that is longer than War and Peace, Schneider has the potential to be the number one in Vancouver for years to come. However, hopefully Gillis will learn from his foolishness, and refrain from handing out 12-year contracts like they are going out of style.

All that said, nothing is set in stone. Who knows, maybe Luongo will be back next year, but it is hard to see how the organization could move past that awkwardness.

Clearly, as seen in the postseason, the coaches and management have more faith in Schneider – all that is left to decide is where Luongo

will end up. There are a number of options currently being bounced around by media and radio hosts just dying for something to talk about; Toronto, Chicago, Columbus, Florida, and Tampa Bay have all been posed as possible destinations for Lu. Toronto: TSN’s James Duthie recently tweeted that “Roberto Luongo will submit a shortlist of teams he’d waive his no-trade to go to next week. Toronto will be on it.” Let the media circus begin! Although Toronto has, well, sucked lately, they are arguably one of craziest media towns in the league. Adding the ever-dramatic Luongo to this gong-show would make for good TV, anyways.

There are a number of reasons that the Maple Leafs would benefit from adding Luongo to their star-studded roster. Primarily, it would give them a goalie that can win them games and likely a playoff spot. Luongo also has connections in the centre of the universe: his longtime trainer in the off-sea-

son, Francois Allaire, is the goalie coach in Toronto. Along with that, former Canucks GM, Dave Nonis (who acquired Luongo from Florida) is currently working for Toronto.

Chicago: Whaaa?!? This is possibly the most perplexing trade rumour of them all. Chicago is Vancouver’s biggest rival (the Boston what?

Come on, we play the Bruins once a year); there is no way that any sane GM would make a trade that could come back to bite them. The logic is easy to follow, Chicago needs a number-one goaltender and Vancouver currently has two – obviously they will make a trade. Come on. Mark my words.

This will never happen. Although it would make beating the Blackhawks that much sweeter.

Columbus: Luongo for Rick Nash, straightup. That is a dream I have on a weekly basis. Columbus would be a great place for Luongo – he does well with a lot of shots, little media scrutiny and lots of play-

ing time. He would just have to be willing to give up postseason action. In all likelihood, this trade will probably never happen, but it doesn’t hurt to dream. The Canucks would likely have to give up some younger players – Jansen or Schroeder would likely be a part of this deal.

Tampa Bay or Florida: The speculation about the two teams in Florida is largely based on the fact that Luongo has family connections in the sunshine state.

The real question, however, is whether the Tampa Bay Lightning or the Florida Panthers are even interested in Luongo. Both teams would improve with the addition of Luongo, but the length and size of his contract could prove troublesome. Luongo likely has a good five or six solid years left in him, but his contract has 10 years – the team has to be willing to take that risk. The Lightning are already saddled with Vincent LeCavalier’s monster contract, and would likely be hesitant to add another large contract.

The Panthers, however, are in my mind, the most likely option.

They have the cap space—$23.65 million next season—and Luongo has a history with the team. Furthermore, the Panthers goalie, Scott Clemmensen is soon to be an unrestricted free agent and Jose Theodore has just one season remaining on his contract (and likely in his career). The Panthers and Canucks have dealt with each other a number of times in the past, and it would not be a surprise if they continued the pattern.

This should all provide for an entertaining off-season – thankfully, considering the length of it.

My money is on a trade with Florida for draft picks, and perhaps 23-year-old defenceman Keaton Ellerby, if the Canucks are lucky.

All that said, a move with Toronto wouldn’t surprise me in the least.

Whatever happens, let’s hope it happens quickly and without a TV special in which Luongo reveals his choice.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2012

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SPORTS & HEALTH

Canucks collapse less embarassing after Blues swept JOEL SMART

the cascade

It’s tempting to look at the recent second-round sweep of the St. Louis Blues by the Los Angeles Kings, and conclude that Vancouver’s first-round exit had more to do with the Kings’ play than their own. After all, the Blues ranked just below the Canucks in the Western Conference, and they made it through the first round with just a single loss against the San Jose Sharks. Sound familiar? Yet, such a conclusion would require an awfully short memory – a failure to remember the brutal inability to make a tapeto-tape pass that characterized their turbulent (and incredibly brief) postseason “adventure.”

Granted, the Kings have managed to transform into the most dangerous of the remaining postseason teams through the effective tutelage of brain-numbing head coach Darryl Sutter. For a team that barely squeaked into the playoffs, winning eight of nine games to advance to the third round is beyond impressive.

Perhaps, and I hate to say it, Dustin Brown has been the biggest difference maker on the team. The six-foot, 204-pound team captain has amassed six goals and 11 points in those nine

games. He leads all others with a plus-nine rating in the playoffs. Jonathan Quick has been remarkable in goal, allowing in two-or-fewer in every game – and allowing a goal or less in five of the nine games.

Despite this, Quick was arguably outplayed by Cory Schneider in the three games they played against each other. Schneider finished with a .960 save percentage – which leads the NHL in postseason play. With the exception of the first two games of the series, the Canucks did not lose

due their defensive play (even though there were some serious gaffes by Alex Edler, Kevin Bieksa and even Dan Hamhuis). The problem was that while the Kings scored eight goals in their first two games against the Canucks, it took all five games for the Canucks to match that output.

Down 2-0 in the series, the Canucks failed to score a single goal in the absolutely critical game three.

Admittedly, they were without their leading scorer Daniel Sedin (thanks a lot Duncan Keith). Yet,

when they needed it most, their power play shriveled up like a leathery old raisin in the desert. In fact, the Kings were a greater threat to score when the Canucks went on the power play. Their greatest asset became a major liability. The drop pass, which was never really that impressive, became something between a horrific car crash and a comedy routine. It all seemed to change in game four when Daniel returned, but by then it was too late – the reverse sweep was not to be.

Ryan Kesler, one of the biggest assets on the team, admitted he had an off-year after the game five seriesending loss. With almost every game coming down to the final few minutes with just a single goal separating the Kings and the Canucks, it is hard to deny that he could have been a difference maker if he had been able to dial up his game in a way many had imagined he would. Unfortunately, his offensive game never sparked.

But he was in good company there – David Booth and Chris Higgins, who many thought would come alive in the playoffs, were simply nowhere to be found. With no second line to make up for the loss of Daniel on the first line, the Canucks had nowhere else to turn. No one stepped up. Not

even Alex Burrows could turn things around for the President’s Trophy winners. There would be no celebrating this year.

Although the sting of a first round exit can not be quelled through an analysis of the effort of the players on the team, or even by the play of the Kings, there is some merit to the claim that the team just wasn’t ready for another run. The run last year went long into the summer and took its toll on the team – physically and mentally. While the Kings were able to ratchet up their effort level at the drop of the puck in game one, the Canucks never once played to their potential in the series; they seemed to play without a vision.

Intriguingly, the Bruins suffered a similar fate. In fact, the major players last year all dropped out in the first round. The third round this year will feature entirely different teams from last year. In fact, only three teams were able to advance to the second round that also advanced last year.

While we hold the Canucks to a high standard, it may be the case that the team just needed another year to put last year behind them – to dream again. I can hardly blame them; I’m still recovering myself.

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2012

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