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

Vol. 20 Issue. 09

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012

Hoping for the best since 1993

The Kony Juggernaut Join the Revolution?

p. 6 & 10

Know your vote: Athletics referendum p.19

Talking with teachers: The BCTF dilemma p.7

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www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012

INSIDE THIS WEEK’S ISSUE News

Opinion

SUS maintains their CASA membership

Grace Romund reports on the Student Union Society’s executive membership for $26,000 a year. Read the facts. Where are your SUS fees going?

eBooks are taking over. Will books survive?

Two Cascade members disagree on the rise of the Kindle and death of the book. E-brary vs.

Library.

Read more on page 3

Read more on page 8

Arts & Life

UFV’s production of As You Like It hits the stage Paul Esau reviews the theatre department’s latest play, As You Like It. Does he like it?

Sports & Health

Women’s Volleyball won bronze at CCAA nationals Forget basketball, these volleyball girls are where it’s at!

Read more on page 12

Read more on page 18

EDITORIAL

Athletically inclined: a referendum Paul ESAU THE CASCADE On March 19, the UFV student body are going to be asked, via a referendum on myUFV, whether or not they support an Athletics and Wellness Fee of three per cent of the cost of tuition. Sports editor Sean Evans has put together a comprehensive article on the topic on page 19 which I believe is an accurate description of the process behind the referendum, so I won’t delve into that here. What I do want to impress upon you, the student body, is the importance of

paying attention to this referendum and the fee it represents.

This three per cent of tuition (at current rates) works out to about $12.50 per three-credit course per semester. The accumulated capital will be spent on supporting UFV varsity programs (volleyball, rowing, and golf are in dire need of funding), expanding campus recreation (the hiring of rec coordinators, improvement of intramural sports, and introduction of “wellness” events), and upgrading athletic facilities on UFV campuses. The proportion of the potential funds to be allotted to each area is not entirely

decided, yet the implication for UFV students is clear: we are being asked to make a significant financial commitment to the continued growth of this university.

We are being asked to contribute a substantial amount of money, and we are being asked to commit not only ourselves, but all future students of UFV to this endeavor.

Neither Sean nor I are interested in telling students which way to vote. Our intention is only to urge you to vote, and not let the opportunity slip by. The referendum will be open from Monday, March 19 to Wednesday, March 21, and only five per cent of UFV’s

student population need to vote to make a “yes” or “no” majority official by SUS referendum policy. Don’t let five per cent decide the future of the Athletics department and its legitimate/unlegitimate claim to your hard-earned cash. Don’t sit by and squander this opportunity, only to rage in September when you see yet another fee added to your account, or you hear that UFV no longer has a volleyball program.

This is your university, and the Athletics and Wellness Fee awaits your vote. Make it count.

Volume 20 · Issues 9 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 ali@ufvcascade.ca Ali Siemens Online Editor michael@ufvcascade.ca Michael Scoular Production Manager stewart@ufvcascade.ca Stewart Seymour Art Director anthony@ufvcascade.ca Anthony Biondi Copy Editor joel@ufvcascade.ca Joel Smart News Editor grace@ufvcascade.ca Grace Romund Opinion Editor dessa@ufvcascade.ca Dessa Bayrock Arts & Life Editor 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

UFV Athletics programs, Volleyball, Rowing and Golf fight for a next season.

image: UFV Athletics

UPCOMING EVENTS

Printed By International WebExpress

March 23

March 14-16

March 20

March 15

Real Boys EP Release Show

St. Patrick’s Week at UFV Bookstore

From a Cold Country

Learn about 1000 Saints and Sheriff’s Rescue

This week is St. Patrick’s week at the UFV Bookstore. There have already been events going on each day. There’s a Wii rock band contest Wednesday, March 14.

Then, on Thursday, get out all apparel in your closet of the green variety and create an unforgettable green outfit, throw it on and head down to the bookstore to enter into their “Wear ‘Green’ day contest”.

A picture will be taken of you in your green outfit and posted on the Bookstore website and Facebook group for an online costume photo contest. Voting for the contest will start Thursday evening and end Friday afternoon.

The UFV Centre for Environmental Sustainability will be presenting Lenore Newman who will be lecturing, on March 20 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the Abbotsford campus in room B101, about her research investigating the impact of climate on Canadian culinary identity. Newman’s talk is entitled “From a Cold Country: Climate Adaptation & Canadian Culinary Identity.” Canada’s history involves many cold wintery nights; Newman discusses how such a climate affected how and what Canadians eat. She also examines how these influences have evolved in recent times.

If you are an animal lover or you are interested in learning about some local animal rescue groups, you should be at the Protection of Animal Well-Being by Students (PAWS) group event from 2 to 3 p.m. on Thursday, March 15. Maggie Calloway, of Senior Animals in Need Today Society (Saints), will discuss the needs of animals as they become elderly and how they are being neglected. Angela Enns and Janine Pijpstra of Sheriff’s Rescue will discuss their work with rescue animals that would otherwise have no homes and potentially not be alive without them.

Hosted by CIVL radio station, Student Life and the Student Union Society, Real Boys will be playing an EP release show at U-House on the Abbotsford campus Friday, March 23. The show is to commemorate the release of their four-track EP Vacation. Real Boys, which was originally a side project, features lead singer Everett Morris, as well as members from bands: You Say! We Say!, Oh No! Yoko, and GSTS!.

Musical group Random Dander will open the show. Doors open at 7 p.m. All ages welcome. Tickets are $5 at the door, or free if you’re a UFV student.

Contributors EJ Harrow, Paige Hoblak, Junelle Mah, Aaron Levy, Kenneth Muir, Nick Ubels, Tim Ubels

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

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

Articles and letters to the editor must be typed.

The Cascade reserves the right to edit submissions for clarity and length. The Cascade will not print any articles that contain racist, sexist, homophobic or libellous content. The writer’s name and student number must be submitted with each submission. Letters to the editor must be under 250 words if intended for print. Only one letter to the editor per writer in any given edition.

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

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012

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NEWS

Mi CASA es su CASA GRACE ROMUND

THE CASCADE

As Student Union Society (SUS) candidates discussed a variety of student-related issues in the recent all-candidates meetings during SUS elections campaign which ended last week, a topic that continually resurfaced was that of SUS’s affiliation with the higher education advocacy group, the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA). But what is this group, and why is SUS’s membership a contentious issue among SUS board members?

VP academic Kate Nickelchok heads up student advocacy on all levels of government, as a part of her position at SUS. She explained that CASA is a national advocacy organization for students, specifically higher education students across Canada. There are 26 member schools from coast to coast and they represent over 320,000 students. They lobby and advocate to the federal government teaching, research and student issues.

“The general value for CASA… is ongoing advocacy for student issues at the highest level possible. Post-secondary education is technically a provincial issue, but all the money education/health provincial transfers. Most of the policies… are all federal level.

Most direction in research and teaching comes from the federal level. It’s the highest authority you can speak to if you want to see change enacted in post-secondary education.”

“What CASA is known for, and

what separates it from the other national advocacy group—the Canadian Federation of Students— is the easy in/easy out membership; also [it is] a member-driven model. It’s not staff run, it’s student run,” Nickelchok noted.

VP finance Samuel Broadfoot explained the fees associated with being a member of CASA. “We pay $26,000 [annually] in CASA fees to be a full member.

To be an associate member, if we were ever to go down a step, would be $16,000 [per year],” Broadfoot said.

Nickelchok went into detail about how the fees that SUS pays to CASA are used by the group each year.

“The membership fees go into several things: partly the structure of it as an organization, but also the home staff. While student unions call in every month,

we’re all part of various different committees all working towards a lobby primer... or working on our advocacy efforts, we also have a home office staff who are almost right across the street from parliament head... They have that constant presence on the hill.”

CASA’s membership fees are still debated. At the recent allcandidates meeting during the SUS elections, SUS president Carlos Vidal was questioned by resident representative Christian Doyle about this issue.

“The membership fees for CASA plus sending people to various CASA conferences has cost [SUS] over $40,000 in one year.

Do you feel that is a useful way for SUS to spend their money?”

Doyle asked.

In response Vidal said, “I feel we’re setting a precedent and an example in our student commu-

Orientation Leader recruitment begins SASHA MOEDT

THE CASCADE

Student Life is currently looking for UFV students to volunteer to be Orientation leaders this September. O-leaders, after being trained, help new students find their way around campus. The role may be best suited to students with an interest in volunteer opportunities on campus, as well as those who enjoy leading activities. It may also suit those interested in a free shirt.

Tim Rempel, a programmer at Student Life, said they are looking for students that are interested in getting involved in the UFV community.

“This is an opportunity to develop leadership skills, learn more about UFV, and get involved and networked with other students and staff. It is a chance to enhance skills you already have and learn new skills.”

The volunteer job isn’t a heavy workload, Rempel explained. It involves a couple full day training sessions.

Students will be volunteering throughout Orientation days, the Welcome Back week, and then in the various events the week after.

“Orientation days [are] the week before Labour Day, [and the] Welcome Back events the first week of classes. [The students will] then help out with various Orientation events over the following four weeks,” he said.

“O-Leaders work with various departments around campus to provide programming, information and opportunities for students to become engaged on campus,” he said. “We have a lot of fun and work hard to make people feel welcome. The hope is that students are able to find their place here at UFV.” UFV Orientation programs are intended to introduce new students and their families to the UFV community, the campus, and the various programs, departments and services. It creates a friendly and comfortable atmosphere for new students and lessens the overwhelming experience of being a first year student by preparing them with the knowledge and tools to find resources, classes and services at UFV. UFV students volunteering have the opportunity to learn more about their UFV community in depth. They have the chance to take on a leadership role, and make connections with other stu-

dents.

Tim Rempel thinks that being engaged within the school is key to opening doors of opportunity.

“Not only do you directly develop skills, but you also begin to meet people outside your normal sphere of influence,” Rempel remarked. “By getting outside your usual group of friends you meet students, staff and faculty who are able to show you opportunities you would never have thought about before. I have seen many students create connections through leadership settings that become jobs, references, and lifelong friends. If you’re willing to step into the role of an O-leader, the experience can be a gateway into a whole field of opportunities at UFV that you may not have known even exists.”

Besides this, and a few weeks of fun, students who volunteer to become Orientation leaders also get their hands on those snazzy O-leader shirts.

The next information meeting is drop-in, a quick half an hour of your time. To see what it takes to be an Orientation leader at UFV, go to the U-house on the Abbotsford campus March 14. The information sessions are runs from 12:00 to 12:30 p.m., in room F110.

nity as being the only student union in British Columbia with the highest membership level in CASA. There’s no other school in BC that has the full membership...

I think it is valuable, especially this year, current VP academic Kate has done a great job being involved and up to date with what CASA is doing. It is a high cost.

I understand that,” Vidal admitted. “It’s probably something we could lobby for to CASA. Because the next level of membership down is seen as an exiting type of membership, there’s no membership level in between.”

Doyle, who had asked Vidal about CASA, later went on to voice his own opinions on the issue.

“While it is good to be involved and updated, I think that an associate member would be a better position for us: one, for financial reasons, but to be honest that’s not even the main factor for me.

The main factor for me is I don’t believe SUS as it is at UFV, is quite ready to be a fully national level lobbyist,” Doyle stated. “At this point, we very much need to pay attention to our provincial level and work with what we can work with now and what we’re ready for, and once we’ve succeeded at the provincial level and we have actually done work there, gotten experience, and then go the CASA level.”

Doyle was not alone in his skepticism of SUS’s CASA membership. Disabilities representative Debbie Ellis thought that CASA membership funds could allocated differently within the SUS budget.

“I think dropping down our level [of membership] in CASA would allow use to have $10,000 to utilize more for our students, and I think it would be a more active way of helping our students get to and from classes…I think that for a shuttle would be a better use of money.”

Ellis was talking about the currently lacking Abbotsford-Chilliwack connector, which according to VP finance Samuel Broadfoot, would cost about $10,000 that SUS does not have available in its current budget.

SUS became a member of CASA in 2007. Before joining CASA, three members of the then SUS board of directors attended a Policies and Strategies conference. They wrote a report on what they thought of CASA and how it could apply to UFV. Shortly thereafter SUS held a referendum asking UFV students whether or not to join CASA, the referendum passed and SUS has been a full member of CASA ever since.

Nickelchok mentioned, “It’s federal government [advocacy], but they branch out into interprovincial which is kind of also controlled also federally. They provide resources and networking for provincial level advocacy.

For example, the WTF [What’s the Funding?] movement and the push for a BC lobby group really started with CASA membership schools… It was modeled after CASA, as a template, and brought towards the provincial level.”

NOW HIRING: Business Manager The Business Manager is responsible for the financial management of The Cascade. The Business Manager works closely with The Cascade Journalism Society’s treasurer to ensure The Cascade’s budget is being adhered to. As well, the Business Manager is responsible for managing The Cascade’s local ad portfolio.

Qualifications: 1) Must be registered in at least one credit course during the fall/winter semester.

2) Must be available to work varying hours.

3) Must be present in the office for a minimum of 12 hours a week.

4) Must be able to interact effectively with Society and university staff, students and the general public.

5) Administrative experience is an asset.

6) Must have an interest in and a rudimentary understanding of journalistic practices.

7) Basic literacy is required.

Rate of pay: $150 per issue + 20 per cent commission on local ad sales Please send a resume, and cover letter to ali@ufvcascade.ca

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012

NEWS

The business perspective of Towne Cinema Centre: How to compete in the big leagues JOE JOHNSON

THE CASCADE

For many of us UFV students who grew up in Abbotsford, Towne Cinema Centre has been a staple of the city. Its laid back atmosphere has always been a comfortable place to go see a movie.

And while the theatre may lack in certain features that the larger cinemas boast, it also certainly isn’t without charm.

It opened its doors in 1974 as a spry two-screen theatre. Then as the years past, it expanded to four screens, and then would become what it is today, a nine-screen movie experience. For the past seven years, Jessica Chernecki has been the general manager. Under her management, the theatre continues to advance towards modern day necessities.

But being that Towne Cinema operates under the larger corporate umbrella of Landmark Cinemas, there’s a clear definition of functionality between the two entities. Landmark takes care of most financial matters, leaving Towne Cinema with the handling of the theatre experience and operations.

When Chernecki first started working there, she was in concessions. After moving around a

Just a five minute walk from campus bit, she was promoted to assistant manager and ultimately hired as general manager. By and large, the employees working there all seem to be pleased with where they’re at.

But really, it’s about the movies.

According to Chernecki, the films that are often the most popular are children’s movies. Usually a family will come as a whole.

“I find that the big family movies that we open are usually the busiest. For example, right now we have The Lorax out. It’s a Dr. Seuss movie, and that one’s been just crazy busy.”

Money, though, is what will keep those movies playing. In a

Image:Joe Johnson/The Cascade

time of strong competition from large Cineplex Odeon theatres in Mission, Langley, and soon on Mt. Lehman in Abbotsford, a pricing strategy is required.

The large Cineplex theatres focus on the high-end of the market.

According to Chernecki, “I know that the one in Chilliwack that opened, I believe their admission prices are around $12 to $15, and then it’s even more expensive for the 3D and they have the VIP cinema, as well.”

For Towne Cinema, it’s the opposite. They’re focusing on lowcost. They’re normal price for everybody is $6.95.

However, around a year ago

they introduced the $2 Tuesday.

It’s proven so popular that even considering it’s less than 30 per cent of the typical admission, they make more revenue on that day than they do on any other weekday at the normal price. Together with the weekend moviegoers, their box office is keeping them in what would seem to be a profitable position.

Of course, concession sales make up the other half of their gross revenue stream. “I think overall, it’s about 50/50,” Chernecki said.

When all is said and done, the cost of showing the movie comes from the box office, leaving the majority of net profit coming from concessions.

“Even though tickets are cheap, we do sell a lot in concessions,” she said.

The marketing aspect of Towne Cinema isn’t something that’s very visible. Aside from having showtimes listed in newspapers, and the occasional partnering with local businesses, they have a Facebook page. Their page of Facebook is something that they list upcoming events on, such as airing The Goonies for $5 in preparation for when Super 8 was released.

Being so close to UFV, with a

residence of university students, Chernecki expressed interest in the possibility of direct marketing. “It would be good, because they are really close and if they don’t drive, there’s not a lot else around here.”

While Towne Cinema may not be overly active in marketing, they are making an effort to keep up with changing technology. Already having a 3D screen, thanks to a digital projector, they’re in the process of upgrading the rest of their antiquated film reels.

The upgrade is set to be completed by March 16. But it won’t be cheap at a cost of $100,000 per projector. However, customers will only see the upside. There won’t be an increase in ticket prices, and the picture quality is going to be significantly improved.

These improvements are necessary to stave off increasing competition.

When asked if Towne Cinema will still be here in 10 years, Chernecki answered, “I guess it really depends on what happens with the new theatre, but I think that we’ll stay open. We’ve been open for this long, so I don’t think there are any plans to see it go.”

image: wikimedia commons

Image: wired.com

NEWS BRIEFS

Image: M.N. Malik/The Lance

Image: Sergei Karpukhin/reuters

Putin critics say U.S. should open trade with Russia

Police seek suspect in University of Windsor stabbing

Ottawa starts speeding through Air Canada labor bill

Solar flare blackout

Google leans on developers to use payment service

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Several leaders of Russia’s fragmented op-

WINDSOR (CUP) — Windsor police are searching for a suspect

OTTAWA/VANCOUVER (Reuters) - The Canadian government

SASKATOON (CUP) — A blast of energetic particles from the sun

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc has been pressuring

position urged the United States on Monday to remove a largely

after three men and possibly a fourth suffered stab wounds

brought in legislation on Monday to block a strike or lockout at

collided with Earth early on March 8, causing disruptions in all

applications and mobile game developers to use its costlier

symbolic Cold War trade provision, in a rare display of unity.

on the University of Windsor campus in the early morning of

Air Canada, Ottawa’s third attempt to halt labor action in just

four of the University of Saskatchewan’s SuperDARN radars.

in-house payment service, Google Wallet, as the Internet search

They included anti-corruption blogger Alexei Navalny and

March 9.

nine months.

SuperDARN, or Super Dual Auroral Radar Network, is an

giant tries to emulate the financial success of Apple Inc’s iOS

other organizers of demonstrations against Vladimir Putin who

The suspect, wanted for three counts of aggravated assault,

The bill, which would prevent a work stoppage at the country’s

international system of over 20 radars operating together and

platform.

recognize the need to refocus their protest movement away

has been identified by Windsor Police Services as Emad Adel Ben-

largest airline, is set to face two days of Parliamentary debate,

looking into the polar regions of the Earth. The U of S controls

Google warned several developers in recent months that if they

from the street after his election as president but have found a

Abdellah, 21, of Windsor.

Labour Minister Lisa Raitt said.

four SuperDARN radars: one in Saskatoon, one in Prince George,

continued to use other payment methods - such as PayPal, Zong

common policy agenda elusive.

“We have a fairly long contact history with this individual,”

The government last week prevented a simultaneous strike and

B.C. and two situated in the arctic.

and Boku - their apps would be removed from Android Market,

In an open letter they criticized U.S. politicians who say the

Sergeant Brett Corey told The Lance on Friday afternoon. “He’s a

lockout at Air Canada by asking the Canada Industrial Relations

“All of our radars in the last day or two have been receiving

now known as Google Play, according to developers, executives

repeal of the Jackson-Vanik amendment, a 1974 legal provision

regular for us and we believe we will find him quickly.”

Board (CIRB) to rule whether industrial action would put Canadi-

no data, they’ve been blacked out,” said Kathryn McWilliams,

and investors in mobile gaming and payment sectors.

that still affects trade with Moscow, would benefit only Putin

At 2:20 a.m. on Friday, March 9, uniformed Windsor police

ans’ health and safety at risk. Both the strike and the lockout would

a physics professor who specializes in analyzing the radar

Developers say the Internet search giant is trying to simplify

and his “cronies” and that its removal should be tied to an

officers responded to a reported stabbing at the CAW Student

have started on Monday.

network.

consumer payments, hoping apps-buying will rise and offset

improvement in Russia’s human rights record.

Centre. Prior to arriving, officers observed EMS paramedics

Ottawa’s decision to push ahead with back-to-work legislation

The blackouts were due to the largest solar storm to hit Earth

their higher costs. Google’s payment service charges a higher

“We, leading figures of the Russian political opposition, strongly

attending to a male at the corner of University Avenue at Patricia

means the airline will keep flying regardless of what the CIRB

since 2006, McWilliams said. Earlier in the week, an explosion

cut per transaction than some rivals’. But the move also suggests

stand behind efforts to remove Russia from the provisions of the

Street. According to a statement from Windsor police, the male

decides.

on the Sun’s surface sent massive clouds of particles — resem-

Google is using its powerful position in the mobile apps market

Jackson-Vanik Amendment,” the letter said.

was bleeding heavily from several lacerations to his right leg and

Raitt, who last year brought in legislation to halt strikes at Air

bling bubbles — racing outward into space.

to promote an in-house offering.

“Although there are obvious problems with democracy and

buttock. The 23-year-old was transported to Hotel Dieu Grace

Canada and at Canada Post, said Canada’s economic recovery

“We just happened to be in the path of this thing,” McWilliams

“Although this move by Google might seem high-handed,

human rights in modern Russia, the persistence on the books

Hospital, where he was treated for life threatening injuries. As of

would be harmed by a work stoppage at the airline.

said.

it reduces the friction for purchases inside Android apps and

of the Jackson-Vanik Amendment does not help to solve them

Friday afternoon, he remains in hospital in stable condition.

She said the government had a duty to protect the interests of

As the storm reached Earth, the particles interacted with the

therefore makes users more valuable,” said Hugo Troche, chief

at all.”

According to police, the investigation revealed that at ap-

Canadians, at least a million of whom will travel on the airline

upper atmosphere and the magnetic field, which lead to reports

executive of Appsperse, a cross-promotion network for app

The group said that the trade restrictions imposed under the

proximately 2:10 a.m., an altercation occurred between a group

this week during the March school break, and to look out for

of aurora activity darting from the North Pole to Canada and

discovery.

amendment limited Russia’s competitiveness in international

of men at the door of the campus’ Thirsty Scholar Pub. During

employees at businesses hit by an Air Canada shutdown.

dipping into the northern United States. But McWilliams said

A Google spokesman said on Friday that its policy had not

markets and trapped it in its “petro-state model of develop-

this altercation, a young man reportedly brandished a knife

“We cannot afford this work stoppage... The risks are too great,”

the magnetic activity can also result in damaged power grids

changed, pointing to a clause in its Android developers agree-

ment”.

and stabbed a 20-year-old man in the back and next slashed a

Raitt said in the House of Commons.

and cause GPS systems to misalign.

ment that requires developers who are charging for applications

“Jackson-Vanik is not helpful in any way - neither for promotion

19-year-old man, who was also involved in the altercation. Both

Raitt also indicated that the government was concerned that

“I believe GPS was probably quite strongly affected in the last

and downloads to do so using an authorized payment processor.

of human rights and democracy in Russia, nor for the economic

victims received non-life threatening injuries and were treated

a work halt could push Air Canada back into bankruptcy. The

day or two, because the communications between [satellites]

Android Developer Program policies include two exceptions

interests of its people,” the group said.

and released at Hotel Dieu Grace Hospital.

airline, which flies to more than 180 destinations, emerged from

and the ground have to go through the atmosphere,” McWil-

related to purchases of physical goods and digital content such

The 1974 Jackson-Vanik amendment tied trade relations with

bankruptcy protection in 2004.

liams said. “So when the storm is enhanced, radio waves tend to

as music that can be consumed outside apps.

the former Soviet Union to the rights of Jews and other religious

“That could be the tipping point for an airline already operating

bend a bit more so your position is off.”

The spokesman declined to comment on whether Google had

minorities to emigrate freely.

on the very edge of profitability,” she said, noting that Air Canada had already indicated that labor uncertainty meant it had canceled flights “on a daily basis” and cargo shipments were “suppressed”.

stepped up enforcement of its policies in recent months.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012

www.ufvcascade.ca

5

NEWS

Annual Career Fair results in mixed reactions JOE JOHNSON

THE CASCADE

Last week, a potentially lifechanging event took place at the Envision Athletic Centre. It was UFV’s annual Career Fair. And for those students who weren’t there just for the free swag, like water bottles and SUS mints, it was a great chance to learn about career decisions.

There were a considerable number of concessions aimed at business students, and some schools aiming to recruit, but the fair managed to offer a fairly varied showing of companies. On the floor were CIBC, GoodLife Fitness, Costco Wholesale, Cultus Lake Waterpark and Fraser Health, to name a few.

Similar to the years before, not a lot was noticeably different. The layout was the same, aisles of different company concessions. It allowed for quick mini-information sessions, the ultimate purpose of the event. Students and alumni had the chance to learn about prospective employers and to see what they need to succeed in a chosen career path.

However, for as well-intentioned as the fair was, according to some students it missed the mark.

Image: Anne Russell

Interested applicant inquires about opportunities Attending the Career Fair was fourth-year business student Riley Weiss who was looking for something in marketing.

“I got one or two good contacts.

I’m glad I went, but I don’t know if it was really, really useful,” said Weiss.

One suggestion by Weiss to improve the fair was to group the businesses by various university programs, “It would almost be better if they could segregate the businesses students, the crim stu-

dents...” he noted.

Jennifer Romero, a UFV alumnus, was trying to find something related to non-profit program management. While she believed that the main advantage of the fair for her was the opportunity to network, she was ultimately disappointed in the Career Centre as she was left feeling unintentionally misled.

“One thing I didn’t like very much was that most of the organizations weren’t actually accept-

ing resumes. It said on the UFV Career Centre website to bring lots of resumes. So, I did. But most of them weren’t taking resumes.”

However, Romero did recognize the usefulness of networking with the people she talked to.

“The reps that were there were very helpful in giving advice in how to get hired in their organization.”

In addition to the main focus of student-business interactions, there were presentations lined up throughout the day by different companies, students could partake in mock interviews to practice their skills, CIVL and SUS had their own booths set up, and there was a draw for an iPod shuffle and tuition credit. If students had pre-registered for the fair they would have also been in the running for an iPad. The business representatives, in general, appreciated having the opportunity to come be a part of the Career Fair.

Sergeant Willie Merenick from Transit Police thought it was good, overall. “We spoke with a lot of Criminology students who had some real interest in being police officers, and had some really good questions. It’s refreshing because some of the places we go we don’t experience that.”

That same sentiment of success was shared by Brad Nastiuk a branch manager for St. John Ambulance who estimated that he saw somewhere between 60 and 70 people. Although, being a nonprofit organization, it was a little different for him.

“We’re not usually the ones that are a big employer, because we’re a very small organization with local branches… But when we do have career opportunities, we’re always looking for an opportunity for instructors to teach our programs,” stated Nastiuk.

Peter Flengeris of The Cactus Club Cafe, however, wasn’t as enthusiastic about the amount of students who passed their booth at the event.

“I definitely think for us, at least, it would have been nicer to see a lot more people here. The first hour was good, and then after that it was just really slow.”

Flengeris also wasn’t entirely confident that they would return next year.

“Maybe, that’s something we’ll have to discuss. We’ll have to see the benefits from it, and just to make an educated decision whether it’s worth coming back again.”

UFV student speaks out for animal welfare jENNIFER COLBOURNE

THE CASCADE

Lauren Hannem may appear to be your typical English student, but underneath burns a passionate heart for her fellow animals.

Unable to find an avenue for her desire to promote animal welfare, she founded the Protection of Animal Well-Being by Students (PAWS) group on campus.

Rather than being a pushy protest group, Hannem has made an effort to ensure that PAWS is an organization with the goal of informing students about animal issues.

“We’re essentially about animal welfare through education, by giving people the means and the information that they need to make an informed decision,” Hannem said. “[PAWS is] then not only about, you know, saying that you should eat a certain way, or you should do this, but giving [students the] knowledge about where to go… I found when I was becoming a vegetarian [that] there were lots of people telling me their points of view, but then you couldn’t find anything to actually go to [for information].”

Hannem acknowledged the difficulty of promoting animal welfare in an agriculturally-based community. Nonetheless, she has attracted a steady stream of interested students over the past few years that she’s encouraged to speak out about their passions.

“I find that people [say]... ‘Well, I don’t know, can we do stuff like that?’ and I’ve got to be the one whose like, ‘Yeah, we can do it

Image: Lauren Hannem

– let’s just do it!’… We really try and encourage everybody that is involved in our group to go for what they’re interested in,” stated Hannem. “So we have one girl that’s really interested in fur, then we have another girl that’s extremely interested in the food aspects – personally, I’m really interested in the law aspects…

We obviously can’t change those things, we just try and educate people in the best routes they could go.”

PAWS educates and advocates in a variety of ways. They have had a number of on campus events, such as movie nights, guest speakers, field trips, dog walks, fundraisers for local rescues, booths, and petitions like the World’s Society for the Protection of Animal (WSPA)’s “Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare.” Philosophy professor Wayne Henry has also been an active supporter of the group, and has helped bring in guest speakers to UFV. “We have two campaigns going on this semester,” Hannem

explained. “We would like to see a switch of our egg consumption from regular eggs that come from battery farms to cage free… [to] make it a University policy, and then therefore Sodexo in their buying of eggs would have to buy [caged free eggs].”

In North America, there are more than 350 academic institutions (15 of which are in Canada) that have reduced or eliminated the number of battery cage eggs used in their dishes. In BC alone, BCIT, UBC, SFU, UVic and others are working towards eliminating the consumption of battery cage eggs at their schools. The Fraser Valley is an epicenter of egg production in Canada, and many farms in the area produce cagefree eggs.

In addition to the egg-campaign, Hannem said, “We’re bringing in guest speakers from two local rescues… We have one lady that’s coming from SAINTS which is a rescue for older animals, and she’s going to talk about… care for animals in their older age: what it entails and…

how people drop the ball around that time that’s usually, you know, when you have to fork out the majority of your money for those animals,” Hannem noted.

“The other rescue that we have coming is Sherriff’s Rescue, and they’re going to talk about rehabilitation for animals that have obviously been treated badly… [and] the pitbull perception, and how they’ve been demonized in our society… Both of them are going to talk about the need of rescues in society and how, you know, there is a need because there are so many animals... They are overpopulating and people aren’t taking care of them, and it’s weird that… it’s not something that’s being regulated by the government. It’s just being thrown in the hands of all these non-profits, so they have to take care of [the animals].”

Both animal rescue workers will be at UFV to speak on March 15 at 2:00 p.m. in room F125.

Hannem said “[I’ve had a passion for animals] ever since I can remember... I remember I’ve loved horses since before I could walk. It’s always been there.”

“I think that everything has a right to life, has a right to freedom, and has a right to have the sun on its face… I just don’t feel like anything should be abused just because it doesn’t have a voice. I don’t think that that’s fair.”

Anyone interested in joining or for more information about PAWS should contact Lauren Hannem at Lauren.Hannem@student.ufv.ca.

Want to learn about animal rescue in Abbotsford?

1000 Saints Maggie Calloway will speak on behalf of SAINTS (Senior Animals In Need Today Society). SAINTS exists to help senior and special needs animals in our community when all else fails. Maggie will explain the work they do in our community to try to find these special needs animals a home.

Sheriff’s Rescue Angela Enns and Janine Pijpstra will speak on behalf of Sherrif’s Rescue. Sherrif’s Rescue is an organization that rescues dogs of any breed that have no alternatives available and would otherwise be destroyed. Angela will explain how they partner with other dedicated volunteers in the United States to alleviate much of the burden resulting from the recent economic downturn there.

When: Thursday, March 15 @ 2 pm Where: University House F125 Contact: Wayne Henry, Philosophy Wayne.Henry@ufv.ca Ph.: (604) 504-7441 ext.: 4197

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www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012

OPINION

Why I didn’t share Kony 2012 SEAN EVANS THE CASCADE This last week, as we are all aware, a video produced by Invisible Children outlining the war crimes of Joseph Kony went viral. Here are the reasons I chose not to share that video.

First of all, it oversimplifies a complex issue. Kony has been operating in Uganda and the surrounding area for over 20 years. This is not a simple issue. In the video, the narrator asks his son “who the bad guy” in Uganda is. His son points to a picture of Kony, and the video moves on. What is not made clear is that Kony is not the only “bad guy” in Uganda. The video makes it seem as though if we get rid of Kony, all will be well in Uganda. This is not the case. Logic alone tells us that there have to be people supporting this man. Even if Kony were to be killed or captured and the Lord’s Resistance Army

Image: Promotional Poster

over there and get those bad guys, all would be solved. What about the child soldiers that he kidnapped 15 years ago, now in their 20s? Are they still victims, or are they now perpetrators? This is an “there is never a case of ‘good issue that the video does not once grapple with. guys’ versus ‘bad guys.’”

Secondly, the (LRA) were to subsequently fade film as it stands is incomplete; one away, Foreign Affairs points out that very important voice was all but the LRA is “a relatively small player missing from the video — the Uganin all of this — as much a symptom dan voice. as a cause of the endemic violence.”

“It is hard to respect any docuAs a history student, I’ve been mentary on northern Uganda where taught over and over again that there a five-year-old white boy features is never a case of “good guys” versus more prominently than any north“bad guys.” This sort of language ern Ugandan victim or survivor,” oversimplifies the issues, and cre- writes Canadian human rights ates a belief that if we could just go scholar Mark Kersten at www.justi-

ceinconflict.org. “Incredibly, with the exception of the adolescent northern Ugandan victim, Jacob, the voices of northern Ugandans go almost completely unheard.”

Let’s be honest, the video really lacked the view point of anyone who is currently on the ground and dealing with the situation. Kersten states this as intentional. Why? Because their voices do not fit into the narrative given by Invisible Children.

The video does not report that many northern Ugandans support an amnesty process, in which high-ranking members of the LRA could return to Uganda in exchange for amnesty.

The reality, as Kersten points out, is that “it is their own children who constitute the LRA.” This story, however, is completely absent from the

THE CASCADE Like so many other countries, Iceland suffered greatly during the global economic crisis of 2007 through 2010. In 2008, the peak of Iceland’s financial difficulties, the tiny northern country borrowed a staggering $2.1 billion from the International Monetary Fund. Now Iceland hopes to increase their financial stability and attract foreign investors. The Icelandic government is looking to adopt a foreign currency, but as Europe’s difficulties with the Euro only worsen, Iceland has set their sights on the Canadian loonie.

Currently, one Canadian dollar converts to 126 Icelandic kronas.

While there have been rumours of Iceland potentially taking on the Canadian dollar, the Canadian ambassador to Iceland Alec Bones spoke on the issue a couple weeks ago in a radio interview in Ottawa. Bones said that Canada would be open to such a proposal if Iceland decided to approach Canada on the issue, provided that Iceland had no input on monetary policy. Bones’ radio interview was the day before he was to deliver a speech at a currency conference in Iceland.

However, Bones spoke too soon: the prospective deal had not yet been announced, and following his remarks, the Canadian government stated that Bones would not be in attendance at the currency conference and that Ottawa does not discuss other countries’ currencies. The

problem is that Bones’ comments were premature, since Iceland has yet to make an official request.

But what if they do make an official request soon? Is spreading out our currency globally a good idea?

In the case of Iceland, in particular, Canadian currency would arguably be the best foreign monies for them, considering the alreadyexisting strong connections between the two countries. The population of Iceland is 317,398 people (a little over double the population of Abbotsford). The number of Icelandic Canadians is close to 100,000; a large portion of the global Icelandic population resides in Canada. This is one tie. Another similarity between countries is that both Canada’s and Iceland’s economies are primarily resource-based.

Iceland would not be the first country to entirely adopt foreign currency. El Salvador and Ecuador have both made the US dollar their official currency over the past decade. In these countries, “dollarization” helped to stabilize the economy by halting high inflation rates.

But the other side of that reality is that the Ecuadoran and Salvadoran governments have no control over monetary policy in their countries.

Iceland tried to deal with their inflation concerns by applying to enter the European Union (EU) so that they could adopt the euro as their currency. However, this possibility becomes less and less likely as the EU continues to deal with Greek debt, and economicinstabilityinIrelandandPortu-

‘What is this?’”

Finally, we have to keep in mind that Invisible Children is ultimately a business. The financial numbers are no secret. Only 32 per cent of Invisible Children’s budget is spent on programs in Uganda. The rest goes to generating awareness, conferences, education and staff salaries. I am all for generating awareness, but the situation in Uganda calls for aid for the victims, if anything – not just awareness. Ultimately, awareness generates more donations, which are then spent on generating more awareness. It has turned itself into a business.

Ruge, who works with victims of Kony, again sums it up perfectly on his blog at www.projectdiaspora. org. “In all this kerfuffle, I am afraid everyone is missing the true aim of IC’s brilliant marketing strategy,” he writes. “They are not selling justice, democracy, or restoration of anyone’s dignity. This is a self-aware machine that must continually find a reason to be relevant.”

“They are, in actuality, selling themselves as the issue, as the subject, as the panacea for everything that ails me as the agency-devoid African,” Ruge continues. “All I have to do is show up in my broken English, look pathetic and wanting. You, my dear social media savvy click-activist, will shed a tear, exhaust Facebook’s like button, [and] mobilize your cadre of equally ill-uninformed [sic] netizens to throw money at the problem.”

Legalization would only fuel the fire of drug trafficking

Iceland to adopt loonie GRACE ROMUND

Kony 2012 video.

Perhaps the most interesting complaint against Kony 2012 is that Ugandans themselves don’t like it – many Ugandans have been vocal in their opposition to the video and what it stands for. For many, it is just another example of western, white paternalism. Somehow, we in the west believe that it is our god-given responsibility to solve the problems of “third-world” countries. Many Ugandans, who are on the ground facing the reality of the situation, have complained that the video does not advocate that Ugandans deal with the problem themselves.

For example, the Kony 2012 video does not once mention the fact that Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, could and should be doing more to stop the LRA. The video advocates pressuring the US government to act. Why not the Ugandan government? Why not the Ugandan people?

Are they not capable of solving their own problems?

Ugandan social activist, TMS Ruge, commented on this in his article in The New York Times. “The scary part of this campaign is that it raises expectations too high. ‘If you care enough to send $30 dollars and wear this here bracelet, we will go and get rid of this evil for you. Trust us,’ it says. The world isn’t that simple or easy to fix,” Ruge said. “The campaign missed a huge opportunity to instill agency in Uganda’s civil society, to encourage citizens to act on their own behalf. That would have been hugely transformative. But instead, Ugandans are left wondering,

PAIGE HOBLAK CONTRIBUTOR

Image: David Miller/Flickr.com

gal.

These problems are not going away anytime soon, and the last thing the EU wants is anything to do with Iceland’s inflated and unstable economy right now.

At first I thought that Iceland adopting Canadian currency wouldn’t be a problem. In fact, my initial thought was, “If I ever travel to Iceland I won’t have to deal with currency exchange!” After further thought, however, I think we should ultimately be wary of currency large scale sharing – just look at the headaches that the EU has been facing for so many years as a result of this one currency to rule them all. And maybe—now I feel truly Canadian— we should embrace diversity, even when it comes to currency. We’re different for a reason; amalgamation is not the answer.

American Vice-President Joe Biden recently travelled to Central America to discuss the decriminalization of drugs. This has been a continuing debate in the last year for North America, and it’s fairly common knowledge that Mexico has been at war against drug cartels for several years. An end to the violence is far from over; I think we have received the message to stay off the beautiful beaches of Mexico as violence has struck even the innocent.

And although Mexico has been the main country mentioned when discussing illicit drug activity, Central America is no stranger to drugrelated issues either. Mexico especially is looking for a new solution to get a hold on these issues, as they fear the possibility of the cartels taking over the country.

America has supported Mexico’s fight against drug cartels. This is logical, considering it is a shared problem; business deals often cross the US/Mexico border. As this debate has spread through the media, some say decriminalization is the only resolution to the rising violence associated with drugs. On the other hand, rather than a solution, this could be adding fuel to the fire. As

Joe Biden recently advocated in his visit to Central America, the Obama Administration is on the it’s-fuel-onthe-fire side of the fence, and will not be supporting the decriminalization of drugs.

I have to agree with that; decriminalizing drugs will only increase usage. How would decriminalizing drugs act as a solution? I often question this tactic, as I believe it has no way of fixing drug-related violence.

Drug organizations could only profit from this, as it will increase demand and deepen the pockets of the people who should be behind bars.

I understand the desperation that plagues Central American leaders as they fight for the safety of their countries, but I do not believe, by any means, that decriminalization is the answer. It may take more time and a lot more money, yet harsher punishment for those involved in could definitely be a start in ending this long war against drug cartels.

My opinion corresponds with the Canadian Government’s position against changing the laws on drug prohibition. Whether drug-related activities occur in Canada, the US, or Central America, serving a mandatory sentence feels like the best response to the war against drugs, offering immediate and severe consequences to anyone involved.

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012

7

OPINION

Strikers take a stand: teachers speak out on the sticket lines SASHA MOEDT THE CASCADE

Last week BC teachers across the province participated in phase two of their job action strike, lining the sidewalks outside their schools in a protest against government negotiation (or lack thereof) and Bill 22.

They paced the sidewalks, through the cold, holding up signs that read messages like “teachers taking a stand,” and waving at cars to honk for support.

For three days, teachers organized shifts amongst themselves.

The teachers went without pay other than the $50 strike pay from the BCTF per shift. Though it was illegal to set up picket lines, teachers were able to make sticket lines. The difference is picket lines do not allow any other people in the building, while sticket lines do. So receptionists, administration, and teaching assistants were still allowed into the building.

I thought that maybe one morning I would go and strike with the teachers. Though I wasn’t allowed to have $50 strike pay, teachers did let me talk to them and take pictures. I even got a coffee.

Listening to teachers at James Hill Elementary school in Langley, answers to questions about teacher’s priorities became pretty clear: why are they striking? What do they want out of the education system? Why does the government want something else out of that system?

I got to hear about the individual teacher’s opinion, rather than the whole of the BCTF. The men and women in the teaching profession know the education system best, and it’s their voices we should be listening carefully to, because something isn’t right at the negotiating table.

Here is what a handful of striking teachers have to say about what their profession in this province is dealing with, and what their take on the situation is.

Advice for UFV students who want to get into teaching?

It seems every student has “teacher” as an option on their list of possible careers. It makes sense; if you are passionate about your subject, teaching it would be ideal. But the way the Liberals are treating those in the profession these days is disheartening: is it really an ideal job? What are people in the profession saying after years of contract stripping and fighting for every professional right?

The message seemed to be a mixture of encouragement and warning: “Be really aware of what the whole job entails,” fourth-grade teacher Sandi Takasaki said. “It’s a wonderful profession, but sometimes you are asked to make some hard choices.”

Takasaki’s colleague, music teacher Colleen Gidding, agreed and advised to teach “because you love it, not because you are going to make big dollars at it. The only reason you can get into teaching is because you love children, and you love education.”

With the net-zero negotiations and with teacher’s priorities set on funding for classrooms over salary increase, teaching as a profession is no goldmine. BC teachers are one of the lowest paid across Canada, in a place where the cost of living is one of the highest. For a profession that takes five-plus years in university to get into, that’s something else.

Image: Sasha Moedt/The Cascade & boodie131/Flickr

Shelia Greentree, a teacher working in a district program with behavioural disorders, said that despite this, she still encourages university students to consider becoming teachers.

“I would definitely suggest still going into teaching because teaching is so incredibly, deeply rewarding. I just wouldn’t recommend that they stay in this province to do it.”

Respect for the profession is sinking in BC. Another teacher on the sticket line who wished to be unnamed said although he loves his career, he has become increasingly unhappy with his working conditions. “There are fewer and fewer days when you go home satisfied, that you feel like you were able to do your job, and you’ve met the needs of your classroom. It’s become increasingly difficult to do that.” He continued on to say that, as a teacher in BC, the profession is “under-supported, and underappreciated. As a teacher I feel like we’ve given up so much in the past years... and we see our employers want more from us. So I don’t know.”

How are negotiations being handled?

After controversial and conflicting arguments and negotiations between, it was interesting to hear individual perspectives on how the negotiations have been carried out by the BCTF representatives by members of the BCTF. These people have a common, strong voice – but do they agree?

There were positive responses.

The BCTF did well, considering the circumstances.

“I think the BCTF was put in a really difficult situation by an incredibly apathetic government that doesn’t value children or education, that’s really clear,” Greentree remarked. She continued: “It’s really demoralizing, what the Liberal government has been doing to educate in the past 11 years. It’s awful for the parents, it’s awful for the students. [These negotiations] are about putting things in place so that children can succeed, and our government is so short-sighted… it’s really, really demoralizing and sad—personally and professionally sad—that everybody in education has been put in this position. I don’t think any system is perfect, but I think people have to work together, and the BCTF has done a really good job to open up negotiations, and the

government had clearly said that they will negotiate within net zero which is really moot [...] because there is no negotiation at net zero.

For them to have got us into debt, this deficit, in the first place and for them to now [be] calling on us to step it up and not ask for anything… all our classroom composition and all our supports have been eroded, and it’s disgusting.”

Another teacher, who wished to remain unnamed, said he could hardly call it negotiating: “I think it’s sort of misleading to describe them as negotiations… I know that we’ve had more than 70 bargaining sessions with the employer group... it’s hard to negotiate when the people on the other side of the table have basically drawn a line in the sand and said ‘we’re not prepared to give up anything here’ which is basically no wage increase [...] and also, right smack dab on the table in front of them is a huge collection of things that they want to take from the employees… so how do I feel? I think we’ve tried to negotiate in good faith, but it’s hard when this is what you’re facing.”

For the thousands of teachers represented by one union and one voice, there are sure to be individual voices of discontent and dispute. But it seemed that what these teachers were individually asking for (working and classroom conditions, and funding and support for children who need it) were largely the same issues being spoken about at the table by the BCTF. What issues should the BCTF be arguing for?

The BCTF brought a number of issues to the bargaining table, ranging from classroom conditions to increased benefits. One of the questions I asked a number of teachers was this: if you had the opportunity to make one decision about any of these issues brought to the table, which one would it be?

The answers were surprisingly similar: increased aid for students; Classroom size should be kept to a minimum for optimum support for students, with or without learning disabilities; increased support for students with disabilities; Classroom composition. The teachers who spoke with me were unanimous in their highest priority – helping their students’ learning conditions.

Greentree explained her personal situation in her classroom:

“I teach a special education class.

My students are directly impacted by all the cuts the government has made. My student’s families are directly impacted by the lack of not only the supports in the education system, but by the lack of supports and the erosion of supports in all the mental health areas.”

Greentree said she would also look at classroom size and composition: “It’s really paramount. I know a classroom with five identified students... for a teacher to try to meet the needs of such a range of students who, through our government who were supposed to have limited to three identified in a class room... You can only do what you can do. And it’s sad, it’s sad for teachers knowing that so many students need support in their classroom and they’re teaching across a spread of five different grade levels in their numeracy and literacy abilities… it’s depressing.”

Giddings, who is a music teacher at James Hill Elementary, said she would choose to get more support for special needs children. “More aids in the special needs category, more learning assistance teachers; we’re way too low when it comes to special-education assistants for working with children with challenges, and that’s my biggest issue.”

Another teacher on the sticket line said that as a teacher, he’d already made sacrifices to gain what he wanted in a new contract. But he still said he’d do it again if he had to. “To me it’s these two: resources for the students and class composition. Those are the things [that] allow me effectively to do my job and I hate to say it, but I’d again say as an employee that I’d give up a wage increase if those things could be dealt with. Unfortunately we’ve done that previously where we have agreed to give up wage increases for years in exchange for benefits for students.

And the government has, with the stroke of the pen, taken those things directly away from us, and now we’ve been left with nothing. So if I could take one thing, it would be to help the students.”

But this time, the government doesn’t even seem to be giving teachers the option.

What do teachers want the public to know?

I’ve read a lot about the strife between the BCTF and the Liberal government. I’ve seen the commercials

on TV, advertisements and articles in the newspapers, on the internet, on the radio from both sides of the negotiations tables. Both sides seem to be giving such different messages that it’s difficult to decipher what the problem is. The government, according to a recent advertisement, is giving special needs children $30 million a year in extra funding. The BCTF says in a Global News article that this funding would make up a fraction of what the government has cut back through the years. And so it goes on, back and forth.

I asked teachers on the sticket line to give me one clear message, something that an individual teacher wanted the public to know, putting aside the messages from either side of the negotiations.

Takasaki said that she would want the public to know that for teachers, “it’s not about money, it’s about kids in classrooms, and what classrooms look like and how they are put together, and how important class size is and configuration.”

Special education teacher Greentree said that she would want the public to look at the whole picture, at the story behind the conflicts in negotiations. “This erosion of services and supports have taken place over a fairly long period of time, this isn’t something that teachers kind of all of the sudden decide ‘oh, this is happening now, this year! oh, gee, we want our way,’” Greentree explained. “This has a much larger context. The way this government has treated this profession and the children who are not taxpayers, and the way that the whole system is devalued in the eyes of the liberal government... There is a bigger picture.”

“I would like people to understand that when the government backs a profession like ours into a corner, a profession that’s there to support and educate, we do have to stand up,” she continued. “There is no choice, because it’s for the longterm. That’s why we are teaching. It’s about the development of children.”

An intermediate teacher who wished to be unnamed turned the question around: “I’d reframe that and say: what is it that the public wants from their education system?

Maybe teachers are misdirected, and misled; we believe that kids want a sound education, that every parent cares about their child, that their expectations for their child is that they will be prepared – prepared for tomorrow [...] and to have the tools necessary to achieve. That’s why we’re here today. So I think that the parents are missing from this equation. I think that really, we need to find out what parents believe education is about.”

At this point, it seems to me that it is the teachers who need clarity, not the public. What do we as BC residents want out of our education system? Why are people in the teaching profession so frantic about the conditions of this system that they would strike, that they would push back, and fight the government? These are people who see the conditions every day, these are the people who know the exact limits imposed by funding cuts and contracts strips. These are the people we should be listening to.

Who knows what steps the BCTF will take next, but, as voters, we need to be aware. We should be keeping a close eye on the negotiating table: our future minds are at risk.

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www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012

OPINION

The future of the written word is a digital catastrophe

I own a Kindle, and it’s awesome

ANTHONY BIONDI

THE CASCADE

Kindle, kINdle, kindle, KinDle, KINDLE, kindle. The Kindle haunts me everywhere I go. Every time I hear about it, it’s only ever good things: how versatile it is, how great it is to carry more than one book within its strange digital workings.

I hate the Kindle; I fear the Kindle; I love the Kindle.

Back in the good old days, men and women of all ages and sizes read books: hard bound, lovely soft pages and solid black print. The printing press was one of the greatest inventions in history because of the gift it brought to us in terms of the written word. Suddenly books and papers were easily produced. Suddenly we could purchase our favorite manuscript and read it whenever we pleased. Since Gutenberg, books have gained popularity as prime sources of entertainment, literature and information; nothing beat the hard print.

But we are a long way from the good old days. We live in a society of ever-changing and ever-growing technology. We live in a world where the new version of iPad comes out once a year and consumer electronics fill our pockets. So why should the humble book be excluded from this trend? It’s so much more efficient to cram hundreds upon hundreds of pages into a digitalized print form.

It weighs less, is more portable and durable, and is conceivably more economical. No trees need to be cut down to print another page. It’s all just digital transfer. It’s a glorious revolution of print, in which we can buy whatever we want wherever we have internet and not have to worry about carrying around a 1200 page tome. Praise be to technological breakthroughs!

The Kindle and its kind provide us with a soft screen that emulates the feel of a paper page. It can feel like reading on a normal page without gifting the reader with the violent eye strain that comes from reading on a computer screen. Technology is so versatile.

But there is just something so special about the feel of paper on thumb, and the need to flip to the next page by hand. I love trying my best not to

bend the spine as I pour through 500 word volumes. The Kindle, frankly, diminishes these experiences.

That’s not to say it isn’t a great thing; in most respects I’m sure it is. Yet I can’t help but wonder at the future of books. Will the day come when Chapters finally dies from the slow-acting poison of digital transfer? I shiver at the thought. I love book stores, and I fear their demise.

I have been noticing a decrease in the variety and amount. The Indigo chain seems to be the only prominent one, aside from this trend of used book vendors. I think it is great that we can still have places to go to increase our own personal libraries.

The look of a hardcover book on a shelf is an inviting one. I know I visit bookstores a surprising amount, despite the fact we only have one new book store in town. Searching those shelves is an experience the Kindle can never replace.

The future I see in my mind is a demented utopia of digital stores and flatscreen reading. There are no more dusty book shelves with dusty books. There are no more coarse, yellowed pages or creaking spines.

There are no more bookmarks with

happy designs of turtles and wagons. There is no more shoving a thick wad of papers under your arm as you run for the bus stop.

This reality is simultaneously realistic and terrifying. What would we do without print books? To me it seems like the entire experience of reading is cheapened. There would be too much I would miss. Reading a book, to me, is something physical and engrossing. It’s not just about the words on the page, it’s also the fact that there are physical pages, and there is ink, and a front cover!

I won’t lie; I have been tempted by the Kindle and its ilk. But I know deep down in the dark and loving parts of my soul that I would not enjoy the experience of reading nearly as much. It is the wholeness of the book that draws me in. I could never read without it, and I fear for its future.

I urge all of you to continue to support the purchase of bound pages, for the love of the printing press and all that is beautiful and solid in life.

DESSA BAYROCK THE CASCADE I own a Kindle, and it’s awesome.

I can carry more books with me at one time than I have space for on my bookshelf and it takes up about as much room in my bag as my wallet.

Some may complain that with this move to e-readers in recent years, we’re losing something vital that comes with the tactile experience of a book. I politely tell those people to get a grip. This is the future. Join, or be left staggering around under stacks of textbooks.

(Oh – did I mention? Half of my textbooks are also available as eBooks. No more back strain walking to and from class toting stacks of over-priced premium paper. I have escaped the vicious cycle; so can you.)

Let me tell you a story. I spent the majority of reading break (somewhat ironically) in a library. My study group basically stayed from the moment opened in the morning until the second it closed at night. Put three English majors in a large room with a lot of books, and it’s like putting kids in a candy store. We want-

ed to touch everything.

But we couldn’t, because we weren’t allowed. It was a special collection, and therefore we had to file requests with librarians and then wait – and wait – and wait – while the items were brought to us. This was sometimes a painful process; the time between asking for these materials and actually getting them was often a molar-grinding period of several hours.

My point is that we live in a digital age; sharing files, documents, and images is an easier process than it’s ever been. Even in a special collection, like the one we spent reading break in, why should that process drag on and on?

It shouldn’t.

The fact is we had to go to Texas just to see these books – why even make that trip when images of these manuscripts could have been introduced to the Internet with the ease of putting up a new Facebook album?

(Hint: it’s because everyone who took pictures of the collection has to sign a form saying they won’t ever under any circumstances put these images out into the digital world.) Copyright infringement? At this point, in this age of internet and digitalization, the rules are dicey at best. We were lucky enough to be able to afford flying to Texas, and I could say the trip and the collection changed my life.

But how many starving, ramen-fed students can’t afford rent, let alone a week-long study trip?

Let me leave you with a little allegory of an incident. On the third day in the library, we were checking out at the circulation desk and the librarian caught sight of my Kindle.

“You have a Kindle?” she said, “Do you like it? I have one, but I just can’t figure it out.”

She sneered a little.

“I like real books better, anyway.”

I couldn’t believe it. A Kindle is easier to understand than a FisherPrice kitchen. It’s so intuitive that it’s ridiculous. After a while, you don’t even notice what you’re reading on – and after all, isn’t that the point? Book-lovers, I still count myself among your ranks. But at the end of the day, it’s the words and content of a thing. Don’t judge a book by its cover. Live in the future.

Curfew for kittens and the end of cat cafés ANTHONY BIONDI

THE CASCADE

I like to think that somewhere in the world there is a big pile of brains that get together once in a while to create something amazing. Some time ago this force came together to combine the caffeinated power of cafés and the cuddliness of cats.

Amazing ideas like this only come along once in a while, and since then cat cafés have been a big thing in Japan. Who wouldn’t want to pay a few bucks to have a cup of tea and spend an hour with a loving feline?

However, there is a dark side to this splendid tale (tail?) of fuzzy friends and frothing fraps. That dark side is the 24-hour pet store, where

cats and dogs are on display for sale at any time of the day. This may not sound all that bad (if a little odd), but Japan’s governing body doesn’t seem to like this much. According to a Huffington Post article by Ruairidh Villar, they want to shut down the all-day pet pushers. This may seem relatively unrelated, but the law itself ties it all together. According to the Japanese, after the hours of 8 p.m. there will no longer be any displaying of cats and dogs.

No cats and dogs after 8 p.m.? No late hour cat cafés. The Huffington Post seems to think that this spells the end for them. Since most of their customers are late hour business men, this spells jeopardy for their happy pastime. I wonder why the

Japanese government isn’t more specific in their new law. If they want to shut down these past-hour pet joints, they should be targeting them more directly. It seems to me a little underhanded to pass a generic law for a specific issue. Besides, whenever it is that I get to visit Japan in person I would love to satisfy my part-time cat cravings.

If these cat cafés were to be shut down in the next few years it would be very disappointing. Idea combinations like this are a once-in-alifetime-event, and it almost seems wrong to let them die off. I think it’s time for the busy people of Japan to take a stand. I won’t pretend to know how their politics work, but I would insist that they petition for the late

night hours. The survival of this beautiful business is important.

I have to wonder, though; on one hand, huh, having cats at our beck and call seems like a fantastic and beautiful thing, but on the other we all know that cats are jerks. How often do people get mauled, or ignored in a facility like this? How often do customers end up with cat dander in their coffee, or balls of hair on their clothes? What is the punishment for a disobedient animal? Knowing the business world at least a little, it seems evident to me that they would do whatever is they have to in order to gain more clients. A disobedient cat would be an obstacle to a successful cuddly hour – I can’t imagine disobedient cats, therefore, are met with

much patience.

That’s not to say that these facilities abuse or disown any animals, but I do see the potential for it. And, as a cat lover, I have to be concerned.

Perhaps shutting these facilities down is the best idea, and we must just accept that the end is the end.

A good idea, though wonderful in paper, doesn’t always work out.

Perhaps it’s time to go back to the drawing board (dare I say scratching post?) and start throwing more idea combinations together to see what we get. Hamburgers and first-year drawing classes? I’m in.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012

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ARTS & LIFE

Dine & Dash: Ninja Sushi

#110 – 19475 Fraser Hwy Surrey, BC 604.514.3700

Hours: Monday to Friday 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Saturday and holidays 12 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m. to 9:30p.m.; Sunday 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

KAREN ANEY THE CASCADE

The Fraser Valley and beyond is inundated with sushi restaurants – they overpower even a certain green-aproned monster. With so many choices, it’s important for sushi restaurants to set themselves apart somehow, and equally important for consumers to choose somewhere to eat based on what they’re looking for (low cost, intimate ambience, unique presentation, etc). Ninja Sushi, a stone’s throw from the Surrey/Langley border, is one of the best sushi restaurants in the Lower Mainland if you’re looking for something unique.

The great equalizer at any sushi joint is the California roll. At Ninja Sushi, they’re $2.99 and of average size. Some of their more special rolls are at the high end of the price scale: an Alaska roll is $4.99, and house specialty rolls are priced at as much as $12.99. However, as anyone who’s perused a specialty

Image: Karen Aney/ The Cascade

roll menu knows, that’s not unheard of. Though Ninja has rolls priced at $12.99, they also have special rolls at the lower end of the pricing scale, with plenty between $4.99 and $6.99.

We ordered one of their house specialties, the “Cali-Fry” roll – marked on the menu in the “Ninja Recommends” selection. According to the menu description, this is a “lightly battered & deep fried California roll drizzled w/ special sauce.” Priced at $4.99, and consisting of 12 pieces, this is a fantastic value. Taste-wise, it’s a great compromise if you’re craving warm food and sushi at the same time, and the special sauces—which seem like Japanese mayonnaise

and teriyaki sauce—are addicting.

We also ordered “Hwe Dup Bop,” a Korean dish that consists of rice with baby green lettuce and vegetables. This is then topped with a variety of sashimi. The portion size is huge; one person could easily order this and have leftovers. It even comes with Miso soup to start. At $10.99, this once again represents a huge value. The sauce served with the dish is called chojang sauce—a Korean hot sauce—and it will make you wonder what you ever saw in Frank’s Red Hot. The final item we ordered was another menu-recommendation called “Sizzling Salmon Legs on Stage.” Found in the tempura sec-

The Cascade Cookbook Lauren Hannem’s Easy Mushroom Risotto

tion of the menu, this dish consists of deep fried strips of salmon on top of crabmeat bedding, both of which are drizzled with three sauces. This dish, and others on the menu (including the “CaliFry” roll), are unique offerings at Ninja Sushi. While you may find deep fried items at other locations, the dishes at Ninja are likely superior in taste: slightly crunchy, but with moist, rich batter. When we ordered this item, it took a couple minutes before the server apologetically informed us that they were out of the deep fried salmon.

She suggested that we instead use prawn tempura, which we happily agreed to do. When the dish was served, there were six pieces of

prawn tempura – priced at $6.25; this is again a great value. The sauces, similar to those on the Cali-Fry roll, were tasty and added a nice depth to the dish.

What shone in this interaction was the service: the solution to the missing menu item was a good one, and offered at no extra cost to us though the large prawns were likely an upgrade. It also bears mentioning that we have been to this restaurant before, though not since the Christmas break. Despite that, a server (not ours) recognized me and managed to remember my personal preference for gyoza sauce instead of soy sauce. Though I forgot to request it myself, it was brought to me with my meal, demonstrating that Ninja Sushi can be trusted to offer not just great specialty items but wonderful service as well.

The ambience is fairly typical for a sushi restaurant, though perhaps slightly cleaner than most. There are booths to accommodate large parties, though when we were there all the patrons were seated in the centre of the restaurant at typical tables (likely owing to the arduous task of cleaning the isolated booths). So, if you’re trying to decide which sushi restaurant to go to, and you’re in the mood for great value, something a little different, and phenomenal service, this is the place to go.

Drink o’ the Week: Irish Pornstar

Lauren Hannem is currently finishing up her English major with a MACS minor and a journalism certificate.

She wishes she had more cooking time, but between school, work, and her club duties at Promotion of Animal Well-being by Students, she needs easy recipes that taste great every time.

“Delicious risotto packed full over healthy, fresh produce. It’s really amazing how easy it is to make.”

Ingredients 4 cups vegetable stock 2 tbsp olive oil 2 garlic gloves, crushed 1 onion, chopped 2 celery stalks, chopped 1 bell pepper (red), seeded and chopped 8 oz mushrooms, sliced 1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped ¼ cup parmesan cheese* 1 cup risotto rice Get your veggie stock boiling in a sauce pan, reducing the heat once it comes to a boil and allowing it to simmer while you’re preparing the risotto.

Heat oil in a deep skillet (a large one because you have lots of ingredients) and add the risotto rice, cooking over low heat and constantly stirring until the rice is coated in oil.

Next, add the garlic, onion, celery, and bell pepper, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes. Once they’re mostly cooked, add the mushrooms and cook until they are a little tender.

Image: Lauren Hannem Add your oregano and then gradually add your hot vegetable stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring constantly. Once that liquid is completely absorbed, add more liquid until it is all gone. You may need to turn up the heat a little.

Image: Patrick Haney/ flicker.com

This sweet, vibrant green shooter is bound to get even St. Patrick stripping. ½ oz Curacao ½ oz Green Apple Sourpuss ½ oz Orange juice

Lastly, stir in half of the parmesan cheese, put onto plates and top off the dish with the rest of the cheese. Serve hot and it will melt in your mouth.

Pour ingredients into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake.

Pour into a shot glass. Serve with charm.

Enjoy!

*Makes an excellent drop-shot in a cup of Sprite.

*For vegans, you can leave out the parmesan, or substitute vegan parmesan cheese. Vegan parmesan cheese can be purchased from health food stores or vegan retailers. See www.karmavore.ca Estimated cost: $6

Ideal for: St. Paddy’s Day parties Bad for: Leprechauns On The Cascade scale: B

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012

FEATURE

ALI SIEMENS

THE CASCADE

DESSA BAYROCK THE CASCADE

A history of Ugandan conflict Uganda has a violent past

– after gaining independence

from Britain in 1962, it suffered under multiple military dictators, resulting in thousands of civilian deaths and a poverty rate comprising almost 40 per cent of the population.

Joseph Kony formed a rebel group in 1987 opposing the Ugandan government. This group later transformed into the Lord’s Resistence Army (LRA) when Kony inherited the followers of Alice Auma (A.K.A. Alice Lakwena). Lakwena led rebels in what she called the Holy Spirit Move-

ment, and in absorbing this group, Kony also took over Lakwena’s claim of receiving orders from both God and the spirit world – combining Christian values and traditional Achuli beliefs.

In the mid 1990s, the LRA was driven into Sudan and was harboured by the Sudanese government. Despite being largely forced out of Uganda, this civil war between the LRA and the Ugandan government has continued from the original inception of the LRA in 1987 to present day.

Kony has now been the lead-

er of the LRA for 26 years. At the peak of their existence, the LRA had an estimated 3000 rebels; that estimate is now around 400. However, the rebels who have survived the increasing international pressure are the upper echelon: the commanders, the officers, and Kony’s trusted finest. These 400 rebels are split into small groups, currently hidden in the dense jungles of Uganda, DR Congo, and Sudan. To date, the LRA have abducted and brainwashed an estimated 30,000 children to use as child soldiers.

Invisible Children as an organization In 2003, filmmakers Jason Russell, Laren Poole and Bobby Bailey were young and eager. They travelled to Africa in search of a story, not expecting to walk into a war in which children were trained, brutal militants. The issue moved these men towards creating Invisible Children (IC), a non-government organisation (NGO) working towards bringing down militia leader, Joseph Kony. More specifically, IC states their vision for Kony 2012 in three points: 1) Make the world aware of the LRA. This includes making documentary films and touring them around the world so that they are seen for free by millions of people.

2) Channel energy from viewers of IC films into largescale advocacy campaigns to stop the LRA and protect civilians.

3) Operate programs on the ground in LRA-affected areas that provide protection, rehabilitation and development as-

sistance.

In a recent press release, IC made their financial documents completely transparent, providing a link to their audited financial documents for the last five years. They break down their budget simply: “The organization spent 80.46 per cent on our programs that further our three-fold mission; 16.24 per cent on administration and management costs; and 3.22 per cent on direct fundraising in Fiscal Year 2011.”

Basically, Invisible Children splits resources and finances into roughly equal thirds and puts each chunk towards each of their three objectives.

It breaks down into awareness, advocacy programs to gain governmental support, and programs in Uganda to help child soldiers. This viral campaign, well-constructed website and supporting videos have fulfilled Invisible Children’s awareness goals above and beyond their wildest dreams.

An overview of Invisible Children and the virality of social media The Kony 2012 video has received all sorts of praise and criticism over the past week.

With over 100 million views on both YouTube and Vimeo combined, it has been made clear that social media has the power to draw the attention of millions. The topic has trended worldwide on Twitter, hundreds of friends shared video links over Facebook, e-

mail, and passed on the link by word of mouth – people insisted everyone must watch this 30-minute video. Invisible Children, a non-governmental organization, used every social media website to their advantage to raise awareness about the violence and suffering happening to the people of Uganda – specifically the children.

Image: invisiblechildren.com

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FEATURE

Critique and backlash After the Kony 2012 video made its rounds and acheived “viral” status, a backlash to the campaign came in full swing.

Students, scholars and citizens all had opinions they wanted to share with the world, and as fast as the video spread, so did opinions on Invisible Children as an organization: was there a possible hidden agenda? Critiques focused on the transparency of financial records, charity navigator rating, lobbying efforts, the “white man” savior

complex, the strategy to secure the arrest of Kony, oversimplification of a complex issue and the current presence of the LRA. On Thursday, March 8, Invisible Children issued a press release attempting to answer some of the concerns put forward by the public. IC staff disseminate many of the concerns by including a transparent link to their financial records over the past five years, the reasons why they used medium they

chose and the ultimate desire to raise awareness. The organization also notes, “we’ve done our utmost to be inclusive, transparent and factual as possible.” They added: “If encountering something you disagree with, suggest an alternative to what we are doing – and we will absolutely take heed. If it’s a matter of opinion, taste, humour, or style: we apologize, and will have to agree to disagree. As the poet Ke$ha says, ‘we are who we are.’”

Moreover, IC provides a list of other organizations on their website under “networks” that also strive to provide aid in Uganda and surrounding areas affected by Kony and the LRA. Instead of fighting against the people who have criticized their work, they have equipped their website with many other options if the public wants to donate to the cause but not through IC. The organization reminds critiques to focus on the pertinent issue, “Let’s fo-

cus on what matters, and what we DO agree on: Joseph Kony needs to be stopped.”

Invisible Children accepts donations, but money is not the main thing they lobby for; they ask for awareness and the strength to dig deeper and find a charity that is worth donating to.

To view the full response to the critiques, visit, www.invisiblechildren.com/critiques.

Child Soldiers Initiative

Amatsiko Organisation

Child Soldiers Initiative was founded by Lieutenant-General Roméo Dallaire (Retired), the author of They Fight Like Soldiers, They Die like Children, after his experiences dealing with child soldiers while serving in Africa.

This organization works on a three-prong system as well, pursuing advocacy, research and awareness, and special military training. Any donation to this cause roughly breaks down into four pieces: training forces and volunteers takes 40 per cent, research 15 per cent. Building awareness in developed countries takes another 15 per cent, and staff salaries and administrative costs comprise the remaining 30 per cent.

No religious affiliations. www.childsoldiersinitiative.org

The Amatsiko Organisation guarantees 85 per cent of money donated to the project will be used to directly benefit the children that they support. The remaining 15 per cent is used for running costs, overheads etc. of the project. The organisation also provides a list of needs such as mosquito nets, blankets and other materials that can be purchased by supporters, then Amatsiko delivers the goods.

Non-denominational. www.amatsiko.org

War Child War Child is a smaller organization that works in Uganda as well as the DR Congo, Central African Republic as well as Iraq and Afghanistan. Staff work directly on the grounds of these countries helping former child soldiers, children living on the street, children put in prison and girls at risk of rape and violence. War Child guarantees 90 cents of every dollar is used for aid specifically, 10 cents to administrative and other costs.

No religious affiliations. www.warchild.org.uk

Our guide to stopping Kony If after watching that heartbreaking video you want to contribute, there are a couple of options open. Invisible Children is sold out of Kony action kits and bracelets, but you can still donate directly to the cause. The other NGO’s listed on the side include financial analysis and whether or not they are religiously affiliated.

What Invisible Children has done for this cause is given it a brand: by adopting Kony as the face of the LRA (and subsequently the issue of child soldiers in general), Invisible Children has gained more awareness for Uganda than any other organization. Unlike donations, this awareness not only supports what Invisible Children is trying to do, but also every other organization trying to help Uganda. So although Invisible Children has taken

flack for only putting thirty per cent of their donations directly towards Ugandan children in programs and scholarships, the rest is still very much a part of the game plan.

Regardless of whether you support Invisible Children’s financial delegation, the fact remains that child soldiers are a very real issue. Invisible Children admits in their press release that they have simplified the issue immensely – but they stand by their decision to use Kony as the face for the issue.

Kony might only be the head on the LRA snake, but catching and putting him to justice is the first step on the path.

Kony is now literally the face of this issue; making him famous makes the issue famous, and this campaign is all about building awareness.

National Christian Foundation The National Christian Foundation (NCF) is one of the largest grant-making Christian organizations in the world. Founded in 1982, the NCF has received over $4.6 billion in donations, granting $3.2 billion to those in need. If calculated evenly over the 30 year inception, 46 thousand is used annually for administrative costs, 107 million directly being used for the children in need. A complete break down of the allocated funds is available on their website.

Evangelical Christian. www.nationalchristian.com

Image: Robert Raines/ flickr.com

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012

ARTS & LIFE

Theatre Review: UFV’s As You Like It PAUL ESAU

THE CASCADE There is something innately funny (in any language) about people posing as members of the opposite gender, a universal truth that is heavily exploited in the UFV Theatre Department’s latest production of Shakespeare’s As You Like It. Why the heroine, Rosalind (Rebekah Brisco), is forced to spend much of the play dressed like man is as unclear as Shakespeare’s inclusion of a court fool in her travelling party, but the details are trivial compared to the comic potential. Thankfully, one of the great strengths of UFV’s current batch of student actors is their ability to convert such potential into comedic gold.

Banished by a troubled duke, pursued by a shrewish shepherdess, and pursuing a love-sick, somewhat over-virtuous Orlando (Dylan Coulter), Rosalind the man is the paradox around which the play revolves. Brisco plays her as an opinionated girl masking the difficulties of her gender-bending situation through enthusiastic belligerence, in stark contrast to her cousin and fellow court refugee Celia (Gabby Bohmer) who displays more traditionally feminine ideals. The perception of “gender” is deeply important in As You Like It, and the actor’s manifestations of gender transcend mere humour to question the male and female “role” beyond the stage. Some of it is stereotype, some is truth, and this reviewer will not presume to make the distinction.

Brisco is part of a trio of actors who define the audience’s collective memory of the performance, the others being Eli Funk (the fool Touchstone) and Gabriel Kirkley (the philosopher Jaques). Funk inhabits the difficult role of a comic whose jokes are centuries behind, yet compensates with spontaneously fresh (yet technically perfect) ridiculousness. His ribald wooing of the shepherdess Audrey (Cait Archer) is one of the highlights of the second act.

Kirkley tactfully handles what is arguably the strangest role in the entire play: the “melancholy fellow” wandering his pessimis-

tic way through a Shakespearean comedy. It is his character, more than any other inclusion, which betrays the underlying seriousness of As You Like It, drawing whimsy from fate and fate from whimsy. At times mild, at others bitter, Kirkley’s characterization is fascinatingly understated and therefore successfully enigmatic.

The production is situated in the classical “Second Empire” period, set against austere columns and painted flora. The props and costumes are sparse compared to the violent exoticism of last semester’s Arabian Nights, but (with the possible exception of a fantastical deerheaded apparition in the second act) they artfully compliment the dialogue. Small touches—carding brushes for Josh Tompke’s shepherd, poems strung like prayer flags above the forest—add rustic and mystical appeal.

An important presence behind the scenes is that of Text Coach Erin Wells, whose expertise is immediately obvious when contrasting As You Like It to last year’s Shakespearean production The Tempest. The comprehensive incorporation of movement, gesture and action into the speech of the actors, coupled with much-superior phrasing, enables a noticeably more efficient translation of meaning to the audience. Some speeches in As You Like It hardly even sound Shakespearean, and that, from a layperson, is high praise indeed.

The strengths of this latest UFV production are in its life, its dynamism, and the relatable nature of its subject matter. Its weakness is perhaps its tendency to jump so quickly from the profane to the profound, from phallic jests involving shepherd’s staves to fantastical, fog-ridden visions. Yet, once again, UFV theatre has produced an enjoyable, thought-provoking work, and a good choice for an evening’s entertainment.

BCIT heals.

BCIT investigates.

BCIT protects.

BCIT cares.

HealtH ScienceS Everywhere you look, our grads are using their careers to contribute to the community. Find out how BCIT Health Sciences programs can help you make a difference — in both your career and the world around you.

Learn more.

bcit.ca/health

As You Like It plays March 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, and 24, with matinees on the 18 and 25. Tickets are between $9 and $20 and can be obtained by calling the theatre box office at 604-795-2814.

It’s your career.

Get it right.

client: Lynne Cruz ad name: SoHS publication: Campus Plus docket #: A16943 6” x 9” came from size: the performers. colour:the health red To be fair, shortcomings were few template: and farpath_photo_fill between. The photo: yes biggest complaint, perhaps, is that designer: Alisha the actors proof sometimes in 1: Feb 14, slipped 2012 Feb 17, 2012 and out ofrequired: their accents.

Further, special notes: their accents didn’t seem to match

Gallery 7’s The Importance of Being Earnest KAREN ANEY THE CASCADE

Anytime a great piece of work is performed, it’s with some trepidation. For instance, the makers of Across the Universe had some big shoes to fill – The Beatles are beloved, and the audience knows when they’re not being given justice. When a local performing arts group is performing such a wellknown play—Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest—the same grandiose expectations put the production at risk. However, Gallery 7’s production at MEI pulled it off beautifully.

Waiting for the show to begin, the audience has time to take in the set. It’s wonderfully designed and thoroughly professional in appearance: the scrolling white cut-outs and doors were a perfect balance for the three different scenes, and did a great job looking like a viable backdrop for the outdoors, a fancy London home, and a sprawling country manor. The remainder of the set, from the furniture to the china, was carefully selected and

coherent – nothing detracted from the performance, which was ideal.

The costume design, an area that is so often overlooked, was exquisite. Some items appeared to be store-bought, but others— namely the dresses that were so perfectly tailored to the female characters—seemed clearly created for this show and the actresses wearing them. If not, the selection, from what is surely an extensive costume collection, was apt and pleasing. More important than the garments themselves, though, were the small details: items like peacock feathers sprouting from Lady Bracknell’s hat and a slightly rumpled, seemingly hand-made shawl for Miss Prism demonstrated an attention to detail that was not lost on the audience.

Any lighting and sound in the play was either minimal or so wellchosen that they didn’t stand out at all; juxtaposed with the overt sensual stimulation in films of today, this was a welcome change.

Everything that went into the play represented extensive thought and training. The only shortcomings

that of their fellow performers: it could be that they were perfectly emulating the different accents that would befit those who lived in town and those who did not, but to the untrained ear it seemed merely inconsistent. Again, this happened rarely, but enough to be jarring at times.

Two performers didn’t falter from their accents once: Ruth Kult, who played Lady Bracknell, and Michael McIntyre, who played Algernon Moncrieff. Kult embodied her character amazingly well: everything was laughably accurate, from the “fashionable” tilt of her chin to the slight wrinkle of derision when something displeased her. In my view, the one fault with her character, though perhaps not widely-shared, is that Lady Bracknell should be slightly aged and perhaps not quite so attractive –

this would enhance the character, showing that she’s controlling so much of other people’s lives because she doesn’t have much left to control with her own. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your viewpoint), Kult looked just a bit too young and a bit too attractive to be a perfect casting decision. Yes, this is one aspect of live theatre – but it can be addressed through make-up and costuming. Given the attention to detail, it’s possible that the crew did not share my opinion, but it was distracting.

McIntyre, playing Algernon, was flawless. His accent was perfectly delivered, and his comedic timing was perfect. He was a bright spot in the play and served to keep the audience engaged through sometimes arduous monologues and dialogues. The volume of his stage-voice was also extremely well-done; this seems like a small point to mention, but his ability to project his voice without faltering in his enunciation or appearing to be straining was admirable.

Unfortunately, the same cannot

be said for some of his cast members. For instance, though I sat in the second row of the relatively large theatre, Kirstie Hilverda’s lines as Cecily Cardew were sometimes indiscernible. Sarah Hu— perhaps the worst for slipping out of her accent—was another performer with this fault.

However, despite their shortcomings in terms of volume, Hu and Hilverda enhanced their overall performance through their interactions with each other. Though some of the humour needs to be attributed to the script, their transitions from smiling hatred to inseparable bond and back again were the embodiment of hilarity and completely realistic.

Overall, going to see the play is definitely well-worth the money.

Remaining shows for The Importance of Being Earnest are March 15 – 17 and 22 – 24 at 7: 30 p.m. with a discounted 2 p.m. matinee on March 17.

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ARTS & LIFE

CROSSWORD

This is London calling

NICK UBELS CONTRIBUTOR

ACROSS

1 2 3

4

5

6

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1. This river runs through it. (6 letters) 5. Bustling inspiration for The Kinks’ 1967 hit about a “Sunset”. (8, 7 letters) 6. Site of the world’s oldest tennis tournament. (9 letters) 8. Find preachers, politicians, and other pundits at this location’s speaker’s corner. (4, 4 letters) 9. Don’t get lost in this landmark department store’s Egyptian escalators. (7 letters) 10. ________ Square, home to the National Gallery. (9 letters)

DOWN

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1. Subway slang. (4 letters) 2. Newest addition to London’s skyline that provides a one-of-a-kind perspective of the city’s other landmarks. (6, 3 letters).

3. Shakespeare’s famed theatre on the banks of the Thames. (5 letters) 4. Cathedral where Mary Poppins taught the kids to feed the birds. (5, 5 letters) 5. Abby where the remains of Oliver Cromwell were interred for three years before being dug up, hung and beheaded when the monarchy regained power.

(11 letters) 7. Palatial royal residence at the end of The Mall. (10 letters)

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EclipseCrossword.com

Aquarius: Jan 20 - Feb 18 Lucky is on the warpath. You’d better have his lucky charms.

The Weekly Horoscope Gemini: May 21 - June 21 A bird in the hand gathers no moss.

LAST WEEK’S Answer Key Across 1. Stalag 17 5. Taxi Dancer 6. Josephine 9. Double Indemnity 10. The Artist 11. Murder 12. The Lost Weekend Down 1.

2.

3.

4.

7.

8.

9.

Shel Drake Shirley Maclaine The Seven Year Itch Sunset Boulevard Some Like It Hot Marilyn Monroe DeMille

Star Signs from the Sumas Sibyl Libra: Sept 23 - Oct 22 You did, you did see a puddy-tat.

Pisces: Feb 19 - March 20

Cancer: June 22 - July 22

Scorpio: Oct 23 - Nov 21

You were not meant to dress in women’s clothing. Or men’s clothing. Secretly, you actually desire to dress up in sheep’s clothing.

The Bible says: “Watch out for weirdos running around campus in sheep’s clothing. And leprechauns.”

You shall find a pot of gold in a Wal-Mart.

Aries: March 21 - April 19 Insert witty comment here.

Taurus: April 20 - May 20 There are no skies of blue. No red roses too. No wonderful world for you this week.

Leo: July 23 - Aug 22 Tell your other personality to tell your other personality that your other personality has been far too aggressively lately. Also, you may want to mention that it’s time one of your personalities took your other personalities to see a psychiatrist.

Virgo: Aug 23 - Sept 22 Get your smile on. Happiness is a big fat McGut.

Sagittarius: Nov 22 - Dec 21 You are a great and important person, destined to do magnificent things. Either that, or you’re a delusional narcissist that everyone hates.

Capricorn: Dec 22 - Jan 19 Screw Lent. This month, pick a vice and overindulge in it. Trust me, it’ll be much more fun.

Visit us at www.monktucky.com!

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012

ARTS & LIFE

ALBUM REVIEW

Good Old War - “Calling Me Names” ALEXEI C. SUMMERS

THE CASCADE

CHARTS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Tennis Young and Old Grimes Visions Topanga Oceans Real Boys Vacation (single)

B.A. Johnston Hi Dudes

Ketamines Spaced Out

Steve Gates A Bee in Her Mouth Hands & Teeth Hunting Season Isole Born from the Shadows Young Liars Homesick Future

The Black Keys El Camino Rococode Guns Sex & Glory Trust TRST Kate Bush 50 Words For Snow Leonard Cohen Old Ideas Perfume Genius Put Your Back N 2 It Deer Tick Divine Providence Yamantaka // Sonic Titan YT//ST

19 20

Black Mountain Year Zero Kill Matilda I Want Revenge

Shuffle AARON LEVY

CIVL DJ/CONTRIBUTOR

Aaron Levy is CIVL’s station manager, who just poured over UFV Students’ 309 responses to their recent my.ufv.ca survey. Apparently some students think we/I hate Top 40 music. So here are my four favourite Top 40 songs of all time!

Lady Gaga – “The Edge of Glory” This song just hit me as being amazing when it came out; maybe it’s because of the sleek saxophone solo in the bridge, or the awkwardly ascending vocal line of the chorus, or its overall similarities to my favourite Billy Joel tune, “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant.”

My summer jam.

Savage Garden – “I Want You” Bill Welychka once mused on the Much Music Countdown that this song might be a hit because of its reference to “Chica Cherry Cola.” I think it’s the fast talking Australian dance mood that makes it so intoxicating, but either way. I also like “Truly, Madly, Deeply.”

Don’t judge me.

Ke$ha – “Tik Tok” In college this one had me hooked – something about Jagger and Diddy references at the same time. Modulated party voices and nu-school tooth brushing methods all conspire to make this one of the most instructive songs of the decade.

Don’t believe me? Try to party hard without following her lead.

Nirvana – “Smells Like Teen Spirit” What can I say; I was an angstridden teen in the late ‘90s and early aughts. This song spoke to me in ways that Weezer could only almost do. All of Cobain’s music did, and I’m still here, age 27! Almost – I’ll make it through. “Entertain us,” he said.

The year is 2012, and while “Calling Me Names” might not be an album, Good Old War is trying to produce a new one called Come Back as Rain, and I just can’t hold back the urge to complain.

Honestly, Good Old War is one of those bands that gives me a headache every single time I listen to them, though I can’t seem to pinpoint what it really is about them. Is it the singer’s bland nasally voice, the monotonous lyrics, or perhaps the boring indie-gimmick they have going on? Sure, they’re not your typical indie band.

They’re different. They’re one of those indie bands that I can’t stand.

I might’ve been introduced to indie in the privileged days of The Decemberists and Belle and Sebastian, but I don’t think that qualifies me to be a perfectionist or snob when it comes to indie music.

In fact, I think the whole point of indie bands is that they keep up with such big names and stay on par. Good Old War does not do that. It’s just common sense. Good Old War seems to be so high up on themselves right now that they can’t tell what’s good and what’s terribly bad. I can’t compel someone enough to not buy this album when it comes out.

It seems to me these days that the moment an indie band reaches a bit of fame, they get to the point where they’re overwhelmed and either produce nothing at all ever again, or they just suck forever. Of

course, Good Old War is neither of these because Good Old War has never been good.

From their first album, they reverberated their pretentious hipster melodies that echoed lame ’90s pop crossed with a strangled cat, with silly attempts at harmonic vocalization and guitar plucking methods. That was in the year 2008 with their first album Only Way to Be Alone. Four years later, not much has changed; in fact, nothing at all. Their singer sounds exactly the same – that same bland voice that has no place in my earbuds, and which probably should never have been given the privilege of

being recorded in a studio. Their songs still give me a headache every time.

The mediocrity never stops, and I can’t seem to escape from it.

They seem to be doomed to be one of these boring indie bands that never seem to transcend the levels of utter prosaic un-remarkableness that seems to define so many bands that strive to break out into original song, but ultimately fail to do so. Good Old War is one of the definitive bands that fit that stereotype for me. It is still, to this moment, giving me a headache, and I think it’s time to switch the record off now.

Haute Stuff

We’re All Mad Here: Eccentricity LEANNA PANKRATZ THE CASCADE

“I’m not interested in the normal,” says Bill Cunningham, the famed New York Times fashion photographer, in his recent documentary Bill Cunningham New York.

“I’d rather see a man or woman in something fetching, unique, and quite possibly ‘wrong’ from an industry perspective, rather than just another young person trying too hard with the same old things.” I am inclined to agree with his statement. The ordinary has never interested me, nor the bland, nor the common. What interests me are things that are fresh, innovative, new – you get the picture. I’d much rather see a person walk down the street in something completely distinctive and “out there” than just another celebrity knockoff.

I’m the sort of fashion girl who got overly excited when she saw Kirsten Dunst’s lace-laden, ornate dresses in Marie Antoinette, and had a perhaps too-strong appreciation for the elaborate hairpieces and royal-meets-rocker style of Elizabeth von Thurn, German princessturned-fashion columnist. Part of my love for couture stems from my love for the unexpected and the unknown; it comes from my intense appreciation for the unique, bold and unapologetic attitude of those who do as they please when it comes to style. Eccentricity is an art, and one that I wholeheartedly

admire. It takes a lot of daring to step out in something completely different and perhaps a little crazy, especially in a fashion world that runs on three-inch heels and an LBD (little black dress).

Just like sex, spending and countless other pleasures get a bad reputation due to their implications of decadence or anti-puritanism; fashion, I believe, also suffers the consequences of being primarily outwardly based. It’s true that we are often our best work of art, and I fail to see the sin in dressing ourselves accordingly. Whether one wants to pin their hair full of feathers, or remain discreet in blacks and whites, fashion is ultimately the visual expression of the internal. We’re all beautiful, unique specimens. Once again, why not dress as such.

This brings me back to the beauty that is eccentricity. Other people call it crazy, I call it wearable art.

I applauded Helena Bonham Carter’s decision to wear mismatched shoes at the 2011 Golden Globe Awards, and I love Tom Wolfe’s white suits and dandy-esque cane, Isabella Blow’s fabulous and sometimes fearsome hats, Karl Lagerfeld’s constant sunglasses-and-suit fixation, and the heavy, classic, unchanging yet completely unordinary style of Carmen Dell’Orefece and the late Mrs. Brooke Vincent Astor (as featured in the documentary Bill Cunningham New York),

Image: Magitisa/ flicker.com

which is enough to make me want to flank myself in furs and light my vintage cigarette holder.

Eccentrics enjoy themselves more. Helena Bonham Carter, of the mismatched shoes and bird’s next hair, explained her mantra to People Magazine: “Sometimes I get it right, and sometimes I get it wrong,” she said. “The key is that I’m having fun, and I hope people have a little fun when they see me, too.”

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012

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15

Mini Album Reviews

SoundBites

ARTS & LIFE

The Men Open Your Heart

The Magnetic Fields Love at the Bottom of the Sea

Tanlines

Andrew Bird Break It Yourself

Renown as willfully abrasive and atonal, The Men’s sophomore release Open Your Heart achieves a delicate balance between grit and guts while demonstrating impressive depth. The Men maintain the blistering intensity of their debut Leave Home, as their songs remain robust, except in this album the band displays better range. Open Your Heart clocks in around 45 minutes, not only leaving plenty of space in the recordings for the band to emphasize the sheer force and technical expertise of their rhythm section, but also giving the band a chance to dive into their vulnerable and charming side. The title track “Open Your Heart” has an uncanny resemblance to the Buzzcocks’ “Ever Fallen in Love,” though it never truly sounds like it’s ripping them off, but rather acknowledging the Buzzcocks’ spanning influence. “Candy,” the album’s crowning jewel, tips its hat even in its inebriated state to the country/confessional tactics employed by the likes of the Rolling Stones and The Replacements. Overall, Open Your Heart proves that, unlike their previous release, The Men can create a pleasing yet not-easily pegged down listening experience, giving the album a broad appeal.

“The only girl I’ll ever love is Andrew in drag,” drones Stephen Merritt in his typically dispassionate baritone confessional over a drum machine and sparkling acoustic guitar riff. This second track from Love at the Bottom of the Sea sonically and thematically references The Magnetic Fields’ ambitious 69 Love Songs project, though the heartbreaking absurdity of romance has never been a topic far from Merrit’s heart. The band’s latest record, their first in three years, is also a return to the off-kilter, synth-powered pop of The Fields’ early material; one can assume that Merrit had a lot of pent-up synth riffs kicking around coming on the heels of the so-called “no-synth trilogy” (i, Distortion, Realism). But the sound of Love is something fresh, the band embracing more recent electronics in a manner that lends their already otherworldly music a glittery precision and unsettling sonic acuity that draws the listener further into Merrit’s strangely universal inner life. The attention to detail, the melodrama, the heartache and humour, and the classically-minded pop song craft work together in an altogether arresting combination. These songs are all short, maxing out at 2:39, and this focus pays dividends in Merrit’s most consistent record in years.

After two years of having their music online, the unique male duo Tanlines debuts their first album Mixed Emotions. The album is an eclectic mix of sounds that cannot be described as fitting one particular genre. Tanlines provides a listening experience that is rare as organic African beats are mixed with sounds from the ’80s, creating a very original set of songs. Mixed Emotions offers a mature collection of music that seems like a far stretch from contemporary music. That said, Mixed Emotions definitely isn’t for everyone.

However, Tanlines’ willingness to experiment is an admirable quality that shouldn’t go unnoticed; for those willing to give it a listen, I definitely would recommend the tracks “Not the Same” or the alluring “Cactus.” Ultimately, Mixed Emotions brings together a dynamic fusion of sounds to convey an important message that conforming to the rules doesn’t always get you ahead.

I first fell in love with Andrew Bird’s music with Noble Beast, and even with such high expectations this new album does not disappoint. The listener is treated to the same simple guitar and ringing harmonics that have made Bird’s previous albums such strong musical offerings. Add to this mix whistling, violin strings both played and plucked, and a healthy dose of folk beats, and we could be in a Halifax bar in 1890. It is undeniably Andrew Bird – some melodic themes hearken back to previous songs, such as the whistled bridge in “Eyeoneye” which feels kind of like a musical Easter egg to the dedicated listener. As always, the lyrics are dense, twisting, and thought-provoking without being forced or boring.

This is the kind of album you want to play as loud as you can through car speakers just as spring weather is hitting. As Bird croons in “Eyeoneye,” “No one can break your / heart / so you break it yourself.”

TIM UBELS

Book Review LEANNA PANKRATZ THE CASCADE

Five-year-old Jack wakes up from “Bed,” brushes his teeth at “Sink,” and maybe, just maybe turns on “TV” to watch the funny pictures inside, as long as it doesn’t “rot his brain” too much, like Ma says it will.

Jack lives with his mother in an 11x11 room, where they play, laugh and learn together. This is Jack’s world, and here he is stimulated to learn and try new things. He was born here, has never left, and is comfortable in his safe, warm environment where all objects take on characters, and his mother loves him.

As the novel progresses, however, readers and Jack learn that the room isn’t the safe-haven he once thought it was. His mother is not here out of choice, and there is a man named Old Nick who holds the key to the locked door, and is the providing hand behind the sparse boxes of cereal and bananas that show up on “Counter” from time to time. The room, to readers, takes on a new claustrophobic light as a prison, and we are plunged into Jack and Ma’s increasing ur-

NICK UBELS

Mixed Emotions

PAIGE HOBLAK

DESSA BAYROCK

Emma Donoghue - Room

gency to get out. They cook up a plan, but what will life be like on the outside, where things are cold and too bright?

Room is a very authentic novel in its presentation of a young boy’s assessments of the world around him. The novel is notably written in a vernacular that would be common to a five-year-old. Due to Jack’s lifelong isolation and obvious familiarity with “The Room,” objects such as “Door” and “Floor” are presented and addressed throughout the novel in personified forms.

The very specific nature of the Room’s narrative may turn off some readers who may find Jack’s voice hard to decipher or grow tired of wading through personified objects and dropped pronouns.

However, in my opinion, and the opinion of countless other reviewers, the complicated narrative only further fleshes out the story and makes it authentic in a way that perfect grammar and an Oxford vocabulary could not. I find that the use of first person and fiveyear-old vernacular allows readers to feel closer to Jack; the language endears readers to him.

This is a novel ripe with child

psychology. Readers are invited to look deeper than the superficial storyline and Jack’s perceptions of events into the truly dark situation that he and his mother deal with at the hands of Old Nick, and their eventual emancipation from “The Room.” The novel deals with themes of abduction, confinement, isolation, and abuse, and it does so with tenderness and understanding towards its own characters – a testament to Emma Donoghue’s skill as a writer.

The novel is informative, startling, sweet and very, very strong.

Donoghue’s treatment of the subject matter is direct, but not explicit, and showcases the effects of such a situation on a child and young woman in a subtle yet clear way, rather than gratuitously spoon-feeding the readers graphic descriptions of the trouble at hand.

In this regard, I feel that Donoghue has succeeded the most in the careful, knowledgeable and riveting telling of a story that requires delicate communication and a strong research background into the field of child psychology. This feat she has undoubtedly achieved and is attested to in her “Thank-You’s” where she sends her post-publi-

cation gratitude out to the many child psychologists who have helped her along the way.

This isn’t a scary novel in its delivery, but the subject matter suggests something conceivably a lot darker than readers are let onto.

While Jack is the story’s hero in many ways, a reader’s eye will also be drawn to his mother – a paragon of love and bravery as she deals with and fights against her lot in life. In spite of her circumstances, she has created a comfortable, stimulating life for Jack

in “The Room.” This brings us to the conclusion that the story is as much about Jack’s mother as it is about Jack – a fact that Donoghue captures beautifully through the bright eyes of a five-year-old, and treats with the respect a story like this deserves. Room is not a novel to pick up and throw away, nor a casual “beach read,” but a readable pseudo-study of the effects that big, horrible events have on a child, and the resilient spirit of mother and son that overcome them.

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012

ARTS & LIFE

FilmReview John Carter MICHAEL SCOULAR

THE CASCADE

“Everyone thinks their cause is virtuous,” says a character in John Carter, but he might as well be describing the new breed of actiondirectors in Hollywood. Linked by their preference for Michael Giacchino as cannonading composer, they speak with reverence for the generation of directors that preceded them—just as that generation once did—but in actuality, they have cast off the years of accumulated craft that ran through the productions of their forbearers.

More often than not, they seem to prefer to do things in their own lazy-eyed digital way.

This is certainly the case for Andrew Stanton. Coming from the Pixar factory, his direction of live action photography leaves much to be desired. The action-edits hide and obfuscate the already prevalent digital creations, the simple blocking of the actors fails to take advantage of the widescreen frame, and there are permanently haloed heads in practically every shot, leaving no doubt that the light source is not the bright yellow sun, but artificial lighting used to allow for the green screen.

Stanton evidently has some degree of love for the source material. However, the sentiment of tribute to a beloved author doesn’t travel far when it doesn’t translate

into images with any idea of what it means to set a singular tone, such as the sense of adventure felt

by John Carter aficionados when reading an Edgar Rice Burroughs’ story. At least as a bare minimum, there should have been a feeling of an evocative aridness as is only appropriate for a journey onto Mars.

All is left to the artificial; nothing is learnt from what has been passed down, and what is left is an empty cause for John Carter and Andrew Stanton to embark on.

But Stanton presses on anyway, determined to verbalize this story rather than let it unfold via images and distinct acting. What little bit of ability shines through in leading-man Taylor Kitsch’s performance is gone by the time he arrives on Mars, or Barsoom, as the planet is called by its inhabitants.

He becomes a marker on a map, saving a princess here, then returning there to retrieve an item, then after some careful pointless deliberation deciding he likes the whole planet and wants to be its hero — as if there was ever any doubt.

If there’s anything remarkable to point out about Kitsch’s trying position in the movie, it’s that at least he doesn’t have the unenviable role of Lynn Collins, the princess who alternates between being saved and saying that she doesn’t need to be. Like so many scripts today, John Carter’s states banal war concerns before indulging in them

anyways, and points out problems of female depiction on the screen.

“It’s a little vulgar for my taste,” Collins’ character says – even as the sexy harem outfit she has on is still being worn for all to see. There is no room here for any levity or gravitas in the character progression as Princess Dejah Thoris goes from warrior to property to warrior to property of John Carter.

The few saving graces of the film come briefly in the form of the relentlessly charming James Purefoy, who looks here no different than in his defining role in the television series Rome, and Dominic West, who, after his success in theatre after The Wire, brings the experience of playing Shakespeare’s Iago to his role as villain.

If there’s anything author Burroughs’ work resembles, it is a series, which is what John Carter the movie apparently aspires to be.

Stanton and co-writers Michael Chabon and Mark Andrew seek to pack in story and set a stage, much like an overblown television pilot.

Its editing rhythms, aside from some early flourishes—Eric Zumbrunnen is most well-known for his collaborations with Spike Jonze— pathetically connects, rather than creates, scenes.

There is so much here that could be sized differently, altered, and adapted for the screen—which is what the film is supposed to be in the first place—that it is clear An-

drew Stanton had little in mind of making this into a movie. Indeed, that this installment concludes just as it is apparently beginning—we witness his Barsoom rebirth more than two-thirds into the movie— gives John Carter’s endpoint the resemblance of nothing more than a

“tune in next time.” Movies made as products aren’t anything new, but replacing surprise and wonder with inevitability unending is the final death knell for a movie that could hardly be said to be alive in the first place.

places, it’s a one-way ticket to getting beat-up. Certainly, there’s not a lot of support for it in our own community, never mind in societyat-large. The man I spoke too felt the same way. “Life is difficult for anyone who doesn’t really fit into the whole ‘typical male’ mold,” he said. “It can really get to you.

Gender roles—especially here in Abbotsford—are so rigid, and people are not cool with that sort of thing. And yet, it’s fine for women to wear men’s clothes – and when they do it, it’s seen as liberating.

But when a gent does it he’s automatically accused of being homosexual.”

However, this Thursday, March 15, UFV’s PRIDE is offering the opportunity for students to celebrate gender-bending and crossdressing in Abbotsford with a drag show at AfterMath. “It’s fun for the people who actually don’t get the opportunity as much as they like to, to dress in the opposite gender’s clothing,” explained PRIDE coordinator Teila Smart. “I know cross-dressers who are getting involved who actually do cross-dress on their own time at home… It really warms my heart to be able to actually let them do this on cam-

pus and provide a venue where they can have fun and be their own certain selves… I want it to draw attention, I want it to draw awareness, and at the same time have a lot of fun for anyone who’s gay, straight, [or] bi. We want to have it all-inclusive, and let people realize it’s not such a scary thing to be different.”

The evening will be split into three portions: an introduction to each contestant, a talent show, and a pageant-style Q & A, with prizes for the top drag contestants. This year’s judges include UFV president Mark Evered, head of Fashion and Design Deanna Devitt, head of Human Rights & Conflict Resolution Curtis Magnuson, and Student Life programmer Martin Kelly. Of course, I myself will be attending, but whether as a man or a woman, nobody will know!

Last week was International Women’s Day, but this week let’s speak out for men’s rights. Gender is nothing but a social construct anyways, who gives a damn how people dress! It’s the 21st century for god’s sake. Both sexes have the right to wear whatever clothes they want, and feel sexy in them!

Discussions Below the Belt He’s sexy and he knows it VIOLET HART

THE CASCADE When you think sexy, you think high heels, mascara, lipstick, smooth legs, and a form-fitting, soft-clinging dress; a confident woman strutting her stuff as if she owned the world. It’s not that women believe they’re sexual objects; it’s just that sometimes it simply feels great to show off and feel good in your body. There’s nothing wrong with embracing the body nature gave you.

Men, on the other hand, aren’t supposed to embrace their body’s sensuality; the body is only valuable for its strength. To be “manly” entails keeping the body hairy, wearing loose-fitting, sturdy fabrics, keeping a plain face and wearing flat shoes. Urg. Me Tarzan!

We may consider our society as “open-minded” when it comes to gender roles because we now allow women to work construction jobs, wear blue jeans and sport short haircuts. Nobody thinks anything of a woman who acts and dresses “like a man.” But heaven forbid a man shave his legs or wear highheels! That’s just “wrong.” Women can be like men, but men can’t be

like women.

Forget about women’s rights.

What about men’s rights? How is it that men still don’t have the right to wear what they want, groom how they want, do what they want? Men are supposed to have “all the power,” yet they do not have the right to gender-bend.

As much as we insist men do not “want” to feel sexy, many men do.

You would be surprised how many closet cross-dressers there actually are out there. I’m not talking about gay men, either. Once a gay man walks out of the closet, it doesn’t matter if he does so “sexily” or not; either way, he’s still going to be labelled as “other” by society.

Hence why we more readily associate gender-bending with gay men; it’s not because gay men are more “feminine,” but just because gay men have no fear to be who they are.

Straight gender-benders, on the other hand, are difficult for society to wrap their head around. They stay unknown in the shadows. I spoke to one straight male UFV student who shared his experience trying to gender-bend growing up.

“High school was difficult for me because I had a very feminine look

Postcard Literature: Call For Submissions Would you like to see your short fiction published? The Cascade is looking for original flash fiction to grace the pages of this fine publication. Submissions may touch on any theme or topic.

Image: firecloak/ Flickr.com

and wore androgynous clothes in public, and was borderline crossdressing in public,” he said. “I was mistaken for a woman many times. I went to a very religious school so this was looked down upon and I’d get all kinds of nasty insults for it. I always shrugged it off, but sometimes it would get to me, and I’d think to myself: ‘Why can’t you just be normal?’ One day it got to be too much, and I cut my hair short and boyish, took the dye out of it, and started dressing like a man again.”

It really is a struggle for men to dress outside the box. In a lot of

Submission Guidelines:

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

-Subject line should include the name of the work and the author

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

-Submissions should be attached as a Word .doc.

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

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

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

Response time will typically be one week.

Please email all submissions to: alexei@ufvcascade.ca

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17

ARTS & LIFE

CASCADE ARCADE

Dial game finally getting its Act together

JOEL SMART

THE CASCADE iPhone and iPad users may be in for a treat this April, with the release of React Entertainment’s long-awaited The Act – an interactive 2D comedy about a lonely window-washer named Edgar.

The idea of an interactive movie has long been a pipedream for gamers. It was quite successfully attempted with the release of Heavy Rain, a dark psychological thriller from 2010. However, its context-sensitive controls were a bit much for the general public, due to the focus on quick-timeevents (where specific buttons appeared on-screen directing players to control the action). It was all a bit complex.

The Act seems to be taking the reverse approach, where simply dragging your finger left and right on the screen controls the way the story plays out. Originally designed as a coin-operated arcade game, The Act was designed to play without any buttons. Instead, the game was controlled by a single dial. In one scene, the more you turn the dial to the right, the more bold Edgar becomes in his attempt to meet the woman of

Image: arcadeheaven.files.wordpress.com

his dreams – junior nurse Sylvia.

It can take a perceptive eye and a pretty fine touch to be successful. If you become too bold—and turned all the way to the right, it becomes extremely bold—you will frighten her off. In another scene, the dial becomes more literal, with left and right controlling Edgar’s motions as he attempts to give the Heimlich maneuver. If you fail, you’ll have to play the scene again. In the iOS release, the dial has been replaced with a simple, touch-screen finger movement.

In addition to the friendly controls, the game is quite remarkable in that it uses entirely hand-drawn 2D animation – an incredible undertaking for an interactive

medium. Seeking only the best, the development team hired former Disney animators. Many who worked on the game had also worked on such films as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Great Mouse Detective, Tarzan, and The Lion King. Omar Khudari, who wrote and directed the game, told CGSociety that the team had even tried filming actors for the game instead of using animation, but it didn’t have the same effect. “We could have used anything... [but 2D animation] was the first thing, the only thing that worked,” he said. “The art form of personality animation has been refined and practiced at Disney over generations.”

The technology used to make it all work was specially-developed for the game, and works by combining different clips in real time.

“That’s the trick,” Khudari told CGSociety. “We do a visual incarnation of personality in a canned way with pre-drawn 2D animation. It might seem simple, but it’s hugely complex. There aren’t infinite possibilities, but there is a lot of randomness and a fairly rich simulation in terms of what the characters can do.”

Another unique facet of the game is the genre it fits into. The game is classified as a comedy, or perhaps even a romantic comedy. To say that this is an unexplored genre in gaming is an understatement.

It really speaks to the unabashed creativity that has driven this game – there was no market research that led to the creation of The Act. It is, put simply, a labour of love.

There is a strange history to the game, though. Cecropia Inc., designer of the game, run by Khudari and Ann-Marie Bland, cancelled The Act in early 2007.

The game couldn’t find publisher support. The interview with CGSociety, cited above, was from 2006. A Gamasutra article from

2004 saw the game already well into development, pushing for a 2005 release. Having failed to deliver the game, Cecropia was entirely shut down in 2008. For a long while, the game seemed dead in the water. However, in 2009, React Entertainment formed.

Its first project: The Act. Now, in 2012, the game seems to finally be on track for release. The game’s Facebook page cites an April release. However, given the game’s history, the release date may be subject to change. Kotaku suggests the game could come out anytime between spring and summer this year. Whenever it comes out, it will be one to watch.

The only foreseeable downside of the game is that it doesn’t have the most creative characters or stories, relying on classic, overplayed archetypes—the angry boss, the attractive nurse, the well-meaning hero, the lazy oaf—to sell its classic comedy. Yet, it comes off as intentional. This game is meant as a throwback to the good ol’ days, from the vintage art style to the simple controls. Revolutionary story or not, I’ll take it for what it is – chances are there won’t be a sequel any time soon.

POSTCARD LITERATURE The Fall The night sky was starless, and the rain was wicked. My wipers left curved streaks across the windshield, obscuring my vision.

I could see the centre lift of the Second Narrows bridge, raised in the silence of the storm for a passing ship. Its figure shadowed and distorted through the smearing rain, broken and twisted. I turned my lamps off before stopping a quarter mile back. Two cars were parked casually on the shoulder of the bridge.

I was unarmed and cold as I kept a brisk pace down the walk.

I could already feel the rain soaking through my coat. I was careful not to make any noise; the sound of rainwater and boots would be enough for them to hear. And if they heard me, it would turn ugly.

There was no other traffic. Silent as death.

I cursed Irene. I’d been suspicious of this deal from the start.

That kind of feeling that gambling men live by. I’m not a gambler, but I know a good hand from a bad one, and the man Irene was dealing with carried an interesting reputation. He nearly killed three men in a bar fight a few weeks back over a mistaken drink. A real peach, alright. I was the one that was supposed to make the exchange, but The Sun demanded my time. She insisted she go in my place. No convincing could tell her otherwise. She had gone, and I had to play catch-up. Leaving dames to die was not my thing, so I left my article half typed on my desk.

There was no sleeping tonight.

I snuck in low to the rear of the closest car and crouched behind it.

The man we had arranged to meet had his back to me; he was wearing a dark jacket and a black hat.

Irene had eyes of stone, her features focused. “…we simply acquired it. Gold has a way of changing hands, you know.” Irene was firm, always was. She could convince a grown man to give up his wedding band.

“You hired that thief, bitch! I swear to god, if you don’t give me that gold now...” His gestures were rigid and violent. I could barely make out a black metal pistol held at his hip. Son of a bitch.

Irene was laughing delicately, it was almost cute. “Now now, Shane. What do you want a girl to do? Shiver in fear? I already am.

What is a little money to a rich man like you, anyway? I could always just sell the gold to someone else instead. What are you going to do if they--” Bang!

Glass shattered and Irene shrieked. Her scream drove a stake into my chest. Shane was taking a step forward, Irene retreating.

Smoke billowed from the barrel in light , wisps like an extinguished cigarette. I could feel my body shaking as I traced their movements from behind the trunk of the car.

Bang!

Another shot echoed across the bay. Irene was ducking. I thrust forward, my feet raging against the wet concrete. Shane turned to face me just as I landed my shoul-

Anthony Biondi

Art: Anthony BIondi

der into his chest. He flew back, stunned. The gun skidded onto the concrete as he collided with the rails of the bridge. I shuddered as he nearly toppled over to the other side. Only blackness waited for him there.

He threw a fist at me; I caught it in the ribs. He had a good hook, but mine was better. I hit him in the cheek and knocked him to the ground with a second blow from my knee. I saw him reaching for the pistol. I dove for it. He connected a fist with my neck. Coughing, I grabbed hold of his sleeve as he scrambled for the stray hardware.

It wasn’t enough.

“Frank!” Irene screamed. Her voice sent tingles through my body as the barrel of the gun bore

down on me.

Shane was on his feet. His face was twisted with pleasure as he stared down at me hammer and sight. I lunged forward, head-on into his ribs, hurling him backwards. He hit the railing hard, reverberating a sound of thunder down the length of the metal. His feet arched up above his head as he fell over the side. His screamed as if every drop of life fell away with him. I rushed to the rail to catch him, but my hands met only the rain and black. I looked down to see his body drop away like a shadow. He hit the concrete support, splintering before he fell into the water.

I remained at the railing, drenched, still and breathless. I

turned to look at Irene. I had to know if she was fine. She was already in Shane’s car, searching through the glove box, looking for the money. It didn’t take her long.

My hands were gripping the railing, quivering in the cold, the shock beginning to settle in. I had killed for her. And what had it gained me? A crooked life and bloody hands.

I found her arms wrapped around me; I didn’t even notice her approach. “I’ve got it, Frank.”

I remained still, longing for a stiff drink and a cigarette. “Let’s celebrate.” Her voice was like glass in my ears.

“Sorry, babe,” I muttered, “I have work to do.”

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UFV Basketball: A Strong Finish

Time running out for sinking Canucks to right the ship

SPORTS & HEALTH

PAUL ESAU (11 points, five steals), the Cascades

THE CASCADE Women: The UFV women walked into the University of Ottawa’s Montpetit Hall on March 9 with their backs against the wall. Having placed fourth in the Canada West Final Four tournament, they were competing with some of the nation’s top-ranked teams for a single berth in CIS Nationals. First up was the University of Ottawa Gee Gees, and a must-win game for the women in green.

Despite a Player of the Game performance from Kayli Sartori (15 points, seven rebounds), and strong support from Tessa Klassen (14 points) and Aieisha Luyken

fell 69-75 in what became their final game of the season. It was a good run and a strong finish.

Men: The UFV Men started their jaunt in the CIS Finals in Halifax on Friday March 9 with a commanding 83-71 dismantling of the Lakehead University Thunderwolves. The victory came largely on the back of Cascades guard Sheldon Bjorgaard, who went an outrageous 5-6 from three-point land, 100 per cent from the line, and scored 19 points overall.

On the Saturday, the Cascades took on the Carleton University Ravens, a team with a 27-0 season record heading into the game. UFV started tough, but the team was plagued by

turnovers in the first half, and suffered a 12-point scoring deficit in the third quarter. Carleton prevailed 8563 to send the Cascades to the bronze medal game against the St. Francis Xavier X-Men. In this game, at the end of all things basketball, the Cascades found in Kyle Grewal a monster performance. Grewal scored 35 points and grabbed 14 rebounds as UFV came within a single play of forcing overtime. Yet at the final buzzer the X-Men were ahead 89-86, and the Cascades conceded to a still very respectable fourth-place finish nationally.

Overall, pretty good for two teams with only six years of CIS competition. Well done, Cascades!

UFV Cascades claim CCAA bronze medal at volleyball nationals SEAN EVANS THE CASCADE

The UFV women’s volleyball team took bronze this last week in the CCAA national championship at Vancouver Island University. The Cascades finished the tournament with three wins and one loss.

The women began the tournament with a 3-0 loss to Humber College in the quarter-finals. In the consolation semi-final against Mount Saint Vincent University, the Cascades handily defeated them 3-0. Next up, the Cascades faced off against Medicine Hat College. They initially fell behind, dropping two sets to the Rattlers, but rallied, winning three straight sets to advance to the bronze medal game.

The bronze medal game offered the Cascades a chance at revenge against the Humber Hawks. A chance that they took advantage of.

image: ufvcascade.ca

After a hard fought season, and tournament, the women’s volleyball was excited with their final victory.

The women defeated Humber in four sets, with the help of Brittany Stewart who had 20 digs, Jenna Evans, with 18 kills and Kayla Bruce with 13 kills.

At the end of the match, the Cascades

had 47 kills and 45 assists, with an attack percentage of .187. Their strong play was rewarded with a bronze medal.

JOEL SMART

THE CASCADE

After last Saturday’s embarrassing 4-1 loss to the Montreal Canadians—a team that is only higher than Edmonton and Columbus in the standings and sits 30 points back of Vancouver—the Canucks were left with four nights off to contemplate the dire situation they’d created for themselves. While the issue isn’t about points, the problem is almost more worrisome; if they can’t get it together soon, they may be hard pressed to win a best-of-seven series against any team in the league.

There are less than four weeks left in the regular season. Not counting the games against the Phoenix Coyotes and the 7 p.m. matchup on Saturday against the worst-place Columbus Blue Jackets, there are just eight games remaining in the last two weeks of March. The final three games the Canucks play, all in the first week of April, will be the last chance for the team to get on track before the real season begins. (As an aside, it’s interesting to note that in their final nine games, the Canucks play the Dallas Stars, the Colorado Avalanche and the Calgary Flames twice each.)

A rare highlight in the last several weeks was the team’s matchup against the newly-reborn Winnipeg Jets. It marked just the 11th time in 32 games that the Canucks had won in regulation time. That’s just 34 per cent of the time, going back into late December. Sure, the Canucks have played some great hockey games in that span, but the Canucks have not been playing up to their potential for quite some time now.

Consider that the Sedins are both suffering from major point droughts in the last several weeks – to the point where it’s on the brink of setting career records for them. Slump records... not exactly the kind of records they were hoping to set this year. Due to the heavy reliance the Canucks place on the brothers in order to consis-

tently win, this slump is coming at a very inopportune time; (the Canucks should probably try to finish first in the Western Conference, considering both the Detroit Red Wings and the St. Louis Blues have only four regulation losses at home.) The opposition has long known that if you can stop the twins, you can probably stop the Canucks. It just hasn’t been so easy until recently.

One theory is that the NHL is opting to call the game differently – letting a lot of the clutching-andgrabbing go that was so often called over the last few years. Slow down the game and your star players suffer fewer high-impact head injuries.

But with fewer penalties called—especially the type of calls the Canucks used to thrive on—combined with the reduced time and space for skill players to maneuver on the ice, and players like the Sedins just can’t seem to get it going.

Whether that theory stands the test of time or not, what is clear is that the Canucks need to figure out a way to make it work in the next couple weeks if they want to make a serious run at the Cup. Part of the solution has to rest on the likes of Chris Higgins, Maxim Lapierre, Alex Burrows and Jannik Hansen. These are the players assigned the task of creating space for their counterparts. Though they’ve often looked like the best players on the ice this season with their tireless hard work, they’ll have to work even harder to free up open ice now.

Perhaps, ultimately, it’s a good exercise in frustration for the team to deal with now, before the post-season begins. After all, it is generally held that the referees call the game differently in the playoffs – allowing more clutching-and-grabbing and the type of defensive battles that have proved challenging for the Sedins to overcome in the past. If that is the case, then the way they approach these last handful of games could say a lot about their chances come April (and hopefully June).

What’s the big whoop: Pertusis goes viral in the Fraser Valley KAREN ANEY THE CASCADE

By now, most people reading this know there’s been an outbreak of whooping cough in the Fraser Valley. For those of you that haven’t heard – hey, there’s been an outbreak of whooping cough in the Fraser Valley! The first reported cases came out of Chilliwack, and like The Walking Dead, we tried to quarantine them – but, like with The Walking Dead, we all know how well that worked out.

Since it isn’t logical to quarantine an entire city, here’s what you need to know about whooping cough.

Whooping cough is actually the common name for what’s called Pertussis, the scientific name for which is Bordetella Pertussis. To be fair, you probably don’t need to know that – but it may come up on Jeopardy one day. If you’re on the show, and know-

More information regarding the recent whooping cough outbreak, among

other topics, will be presented by UFV Nursing students at the Health Fair at Cottonwood Mall in Chilliwack on Friday, March 16 ing the answer wins you some cash, cheques can be made out to The Cascade. What you should know are the symptoms: many assume that the disease manifests itself only as an intensely bad cough, but that’s not quite accurate. The first symptoms are often easily confused with those of the common cold – or even just feeling a little bit under the weather. Initially, Pertussis can show up as a slight fever (below 102 degrees) or a slightly runny nose, and a bit of a headache.

No, that’s not an editing error – pertussis can start off with no cough at all. For adults, it typically takes about 10 days of those symptoms to develop

into the more advanced whooping cough symptoms: a persistent cough, plaguing the victim with long coughing fits that can sometimes end in vomiting as a result of lack of oxygen.

The “whoop” after which whooping cough is named, comes from the characteristic “whooping” sound of the intake of breath at the end of pertusis-related coughing fit. However, the disease is perhaps misnamed: the whoop is incredibly rare in the majority of cases, typically only occurring in young children or the elderly. What’s the takeaway? Pertussis, despite its advanced symptoms, is generally indiscern-

ible from the common cold in adults.

Why is this an issue? Though pertussis is much like a common cold for adults, it can be fatal or permanently disable young children and infants. More dangerously, the disease spreads quickly: the severe symptoms take 10 days to show after the initial symptoms, and the initial symptoms can take up to 14 days to show after the initial infection.

The disease is spread both through direct contact and also through bacteria-laden particles in the air.

Treatment is difficult, because the disease is often so far advanced before it can be diagnosed. Antibiotics

can hasten the healing process and reduce symptoms, but are ineffectual for infants. Because of this, Health Canada recommends that children be immunized – a service which is available for free through Health Canada. As an adult, you can also be immunized, and it is recomended that you do so if you will be in contact with any youth. Some walk-in clinics may not have the vaccination on hand, so call your local clinic or family doctor and finding out the best place for you to be immunized.

The whooping cough, although it sounds like disease that only our greatgreat-grandparents would have had to deal with, is still active and dangerous.

More information regarding the recent whooping cough outbreak, among other topics, will be presented by UFV Nursing students at the Health Fair at Cottonwood Mall in Chilliwack on Friday, March 16.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012

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SPORTS & HEALTH

Supporting UFV athletics could get costly: SUS and Athletics Department to hold referendum on fee increase SEAN EVANS THE CASCADE

The Student Union Society (SUS) will host a referendum between March 19 and 21. The question that students will be voting on is simple: ““Do you support a student fee rated at three per cent of tuition, the proceeds of which will be earmarked for the sustainability of UFV varsity athletics, and the development of Intramural, Recreation, and Health & Wellness programs on campus?”

For many, the question comes as a shock, considering the size of the fee increase. For a full time fourth year student paying $2398 in tuition, that fee would be close to $72. That would make the Activity and Wellness fee larger than the U-Pass fee, the SUS fee, and the SUS building fee. For international students, the price would be even higher, as the fee is based on percentage of tuition. An International student, paying $6360 (numbers as of fall 2012), would be charged an extra $190.

One of the main proponents of the fee, SUS president Carlos Vidal, spoke with The Cascade. “One of our weak areas is the area of campus recreation and inter-mural sports,” Vidal pointed out. “It’s [Campus Rec] a lot of fun, it’s just really small. There is just no real core funding that is given to Campus Rec. And then Athletics was having some funding issues too, so seeing that there was a correlation between the two: students feelings toward Campus Rec and Athletics, they thought that this would be a great way to see if students would be willing to pay into both those programs. So, they came to us to help them with that.”

That is where the most perplexing part of this referendum came in – why is the University asking for funds from the Student Union Society?

SUS Communications administrator, Jhim Burwell explained: “The reason it is being brought through SUS is that the Ministry of Education has put a hiatus on Universities creating

Graph: Stewart Seymour/The Cascade Stats given by SUS representatives

new fees.” Essentially, because the University can no longer raise or create fees, they are asking the students to implement one on themselves.

Burwell continued, “Because we have an easy mechanism of polling the student body to find out if they’re willing to pay the fee, the University came to us to find that out. That is all this referendum is doing; gauging the willingness of the student body to pay that fee.”

The problem, however, has been that traditionally SUS referendums and elections have been plagued by voter apathy. The last referendum, which gave SUS permission to take out a $10 million mortgage, received only 599 “yes” votes and 351 “no” votes. According to SUS policy, only five per cent of the SUS membership has to vote for a referendum to pass.

By the estimate of Vidal, membership is “about 10,000 give or take, depending on the semester.” In reality, the numbers this semester are slightly lower: there are currently 8998 SUS members. As a result, approximately 449 would be required to vote in the referendum for it to pass successfully.

In reality, just 226 members of the Student Union could vote in favour of the fee increase, and the referendum would pass (provided approximately 449 members voted in total) - resulting in a fee increase for the rest of the

membership.

When questioned on this matter, Burwell simply stated, “Doesn’t matter. We’re brokering this referendum.

It’s the Student Union members that are voting.” Vidal also weighed in on the matter: “We would love it if more people vote, but they don’t...If they don’t [vote], and then they’re upset with it, then that’s just one thing we’ll have to tell them later: ‘why didn’t you vote, if you’re upset with it?’”

The ability for a large turnout has been hindered, to a degree, as the voting period is unusually short - only three days. To put it in perspective, the 2012 SUS general election lasted seven days. When asked about this, Burwell simply stated that the length of the referendum was a decision made by the Athletic Department.

Fourth-year History student, Rob Grant was divided on the issue: “I absolutely support varsity athletics and would love to see an expansion or even opening of ‘intramural, recreation, and health and wellness programs,’ but I would want to know how this money is being spent and why such a high per cent – why not two per cent?

A lot of my friends struggle to make school payments as it is and I know that the increased cost (even something that may seem as meager as $75) is a lot of money to some people.”

Indeed, it is not clear exactly how

this proposed fee will be spent. In a SUS press release on February 17, it stated that: “Specific percentages will be allocated to varsity athletics and campus recreation, and the lion’s share will go to contingency funding that will be used to make sure the UFV community has the resources to provide quality athletics and recreation programming into the future.”

What those specific percentages will look like remains to be seen.

What was made clear, by both Vidal and Burwell, was that the funds will primarily be spent on Campus Rec and other SUS organized activities. “The percentages haven’t been decided yet, but I can tell you that we’re going to be fighting for Campus Rec to be a huge part of that fee,” said Vidal.

Vidal explained the process that would follow if the referendum passed. “If the student body votes that they want this fee. What will happen is the Student Union will have to sit down with the University and their representatives and essentially create a contract of how this money is going to be coming in through the SUS and how the SUS is going to disperse these funds to the various departments.”

“There will never be more money going to Athletics than Campus Rec, I can assure you that,” Vidal prom-

ised. Burwell continued, explaining that “the starting point is 25 per cent varsity, 25 per cent Campus Rec and 50 per cent into the contingency fund.” Burwell also explained what the contingency fund would be: “For example, if the varsity teams get into the postseason and that hasn’t been budgeted for. What would happen is the University would come to us and say ‘we need money out of the contingency fund’... and the board would decide.” So, while 50 per cent of the funds would be split between Campus Rec and varsity, the remaining 50 would be available to whomever needed it – contingent upon the approval of the board. Later, when asked why the Athletics department was so involved with the process of a SUS referendum, Burwell conceded that “we are administering the referendum itself, but in the end, the way that the money that comes in is going to be used, is going to be used by Athletics and by Student Life to provide programing for students.”

As the proposed fee would see capital upgrades to the Athletics programs, the issue has been promoted to student athletes and has been widely discussed by students in the kinesiology department. A member of the UFV Cascades Soccer team, Sasa Plavsic, commented on the promotion of the referendum to student athletes. “It was told to us by our coaches.

They said there is a possibility this could happen and that this is what needs to happen for it to go through...

The coaches encouraged us to vote; they didn’t tell us which way to vote.

We could either vote yes or no. It’s completely up to us, because we have to pay for the fee.” While Plavsic said that no Kinesiology professors had brought the issue up in class, he stated that he “heard it being talked about in classes from a few different people.

From Student Life, from athletes, just general population.”

Health Kick: Nutrition KEN MUIR

CONTRIBUTOR

In any sport that deals with the technical aspects of a person’s form, such as moving your arms while running or keeping your toes pointed while swimming, there are two kinds of adjustments that can be made. The first is a simple adjustment, and usually involves only a small group of muscles. In these cases it’s not difficult to break bad habits, and the new change in technique takes almost no time to develop: maybe only a couple training sessions are needed. An example would be to keep your chin up while cycling (don’t quote me there; I have no experience in proper cycling technique). The change is small, it’s easy to understand and easy to implement.

The other sort of change, well… it takes a little longer. The other sort of change involves large overarching movements and uses many large muscle groups. These sorts of changes take months or even years to fully develop. Generally coaches will spend much more time dealing with these sorts of changes because the athlete must not only be able to produce the movement, but also be able to understand the biomechanics behind the movement. An example would be maximizing the surface area of your arms while pulling towards yourself

Adult Males

Adult Females

Vegetables and Fruit

8-10

7-8

Grain Products

8

6-7

Milk and Alternatives

2

2

Meat and Alternatives

3

2

in swimming. Clearly these kinds of changes are more complicated than just having to “keep your chin up.”

Sometimes, coaches will break down large changes into many small changes. This way, the athlete doesn’t feel overwhelmed by the large change, and less stress can be placed on fundamentally understanding the biomechanics behind the change, which can take some time.

In a lot of ways, the kinds of changes that I’ve just described can be applied to nutrition as well. People are hesitant to make large changes in the way they eat, because they see a massive change in front of them that will take a long time to understand and implement. It takes more work than they’re really willing to give. It can be especially difficult when you’re dealing with a plethora of other concerns, such as school, work, relationships, etc. There are, however, many small changes you can make that take very little time to implement, and take very little work on your part. Hopefully, if you slowly take on each change, one at a time, you’ll get to your nutrition goals without ever facing that massive

change that deters many from even trying.

Read what you eat On the back of the packaging of practically anything you eat or drink is a section labeled “Nutrition Facts.”

Here’s the change you can make: read it. Any time you eat or drink something, read up on its nutritional value.

Generally, anything that has a fat or trans-fat amount of over 20 per cent of your daily value should only be eaten on occasion, and then only sparingly. Any drink that contains more than 25 grams of sugar per 250 mL should also be avoided. The rationale behind this change is that just by knowing what you’re putting in your body, you’re much less likely to eat it if it’s not good for you in large quantities. Fast foods, such as McDonald’s or Tim Horton’s, should provide you with a nutritional information sheet if you request it, though you probably already know what’s on them. You’re just in denial.

Write down what you eat In order to gauge how well you’re

currently eating, take a food diary for two weeks. Write down everything you eat every day for two weeks, in terms of servings. A serving is roughly the size of your fist: some examples would be a slice of bread, half a bagel, or two eggs. For liquids, a serving is 250 mL. Then, you can see how much bad food you’re actually eating, compared to the amount of good food. It may be an eye-opening experience.

You probably don’t realize what your intake of bad food, such as cookies or chips, is until you write it down. For reference, here are the quantities you should optimally be seeing per day in your food diary, in terms of servings: try to write a two-week food diary every two months or so to benchmark how your intake is shaping up.

Don’t eat before bed As we discussed last week, not sleeping enough increases hunger and appetite, as discovered by research conducted by Dr. Eve Van Cauter. If you eat right before you go to sleep, your body won’t rest properly, as its digestive system will be active because of the recent meal. You can substantially improve the quality of your sleep, and therefore diminish your appetite, by not eating two to three hours before you go to sleep.

Don’t listen to your mother Unfortunately old habits die hard,

especially when they’re constantly being reinforced by your mother. The old adage of “finish what’s on your plate” may have been useful before the invention of fridges, but it’s truly an unnecessary ideal now. This is especially true in restaurants where the portions (and plates) are super-sized. It’s better to simply gauge your own hunger.

If you feel satisfied, you should stop eating. You shouldn’t feel bloated at the end of a meal. I repeat: don’t finish what’s on your plate if you’re not hungry. If you find this habit too hard to break, just buy smaller plates.

Eat multi-functional foods This ties in well with reading the nutritional facts of what you’re eating.

Try to eat only foods that do a lot of things, as in, gives you a good source of carbohydrates and vitamin D – or gives you fat, fiber, vitamin C and iron. Make sure what you eat gives you more than just fat and/or sugar.

If you see that note on the bottom of the Nutritional Facts that starts off with “Not a significant source of…” then it’s probably not something you should be eating or drinking on a regular basis (besides water).

This eclectic group of tips and tricks for eating better actually amounts to a big change. If you’re able to implement them one by one, you should be on your way to meeting your nutrition goals in no time.

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