The Cascade Friday, March 26th, 2010

Friday, March 26th, 2010

Putting Prime Ministers in toilets since 1993

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STUDENT UNION SOCIETY Election Results pg 2

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2

THE CASCADE

FRIDAY, MARCH 26th, 20 I0

Oh, the Apathy! Why Didn't You Vote? argue that this makes some kind SONJA SZLOVICSAK of statement about the level of EDITOR-IN-CHIEF apathy at this university; even the et another Student Union Soci- people that care enough about SUS ety election has passed. Typito vote in the SUS election, don't cally, the Cascaderuns an editorial really care about whether or not some candidates join the board. which talks about how important it is to vote, and might wish the What's really disturbing about incoming board well. After all, we the numbers next to "yes," "no" at the Cascadehappen to live right and ''no opinion" is how low those next door to the SUS, so we like to numbers arc. Less than 300 people be good neighbours (even if we voted in the SUS election. That's have to write about them). really bad.

This isn't going to be an "everyWhat's worse is how few candithing is rosy" editorial. dates actually decided to run for Take a look at the election re- board positions. These are paid sults below. Notice anything about positions, and SUS members have the numbers next to the candidates the chance to actually make some names? changes at this university. for those of you who need evThe Student Union Building (or erything explained in black and Student Centre, depending on who white (and I know that some of you ask)is tentatively scheduled to you reading this arc those people), break ground this fall. The people those numbers represent the numthat were just elected to the board ber of people that chose ''yes," arc the people that will be making "no" and "no opinion." the important decisions about this First of all, it's interesting to see building as construction begins. that some of the candidates have Very few people care about who more "no opinion" votes than these board members arc. "yes" votes. Some people might Yes, I did vote. Then again, I am

Volume 18 · l11ue 11 Room Ll0i7 'BH-11 K111£Ro.id Ahhocsford, BC V2~ 7MH

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Editor-In-Chief cascade.chief@ufv.ca SollJ,t Szlov10,1k

Managing Editor cascade.manager@ufv.ca I.,·w1, Vu11IJ}·k

a compu lsivc voter. I vote in federal, provincial and municiplc elections, evla!nwhen r can't stand any of the candidates that are running.

Most likely, the other 215 people that voted arc the same way.

Students aren't as apathetic as we seem. If you read this week's cover story, you'll see that there arc students that do get involved with the UFV community. Oxfam setup a toilet in the cafeteria and great hall to draw attention to issues that they care about.

Unfortunately, it seems that most students just don't care about the SUS. Which is too bad, since the SUS funds the groups people do care about.

Hopefully, there will be a byelectio11 to fill the vacant positions (positions like President, VP Finance and VP Social).

Hopefully, there will be much more student participation if there is a by-election.

Unfortunately, there probably won't be.

Production Manager cascade.productlon@ufv.ca lb11do11aC:011r,1d Production JedMmor Copy Editor AM l\ws News & Opinion Editor cascade.news@ufv.ca Paul Br,1111mt·r Arts & Life Editor cascade.arts@ufv.ca Paul Falardt·,111

Student ·union Society Election Results

Sports & Health Editor

cascade.sports@ufv.ca Brittany \XliL·,n1·r

The following results are the unofficial results of the UFV Student Union Society's 2010general election. They wUI become official upon ratification at the March 26 SUS Board Meeting.

Vice President East

AmaraVanderveen Yes No No

Opinion

122 • 18 76

Vice President Internal

Students with Disabilities Representative

Representative At Large

Representative At Large

Dustin A11dcrlini

JayMitchell

QanielCoulter

Yes No No Opinion

Debbie Ellis No Opinion

84 84 48

JenniferNelson Yes No No Opinion

102 32

82

Vice President Academic

JohnRodger Yes No No Opinion

105

27 84

Aboriginal Representative

EricAnderson Yes No No Opinion

Kyle Anderse11 Yes No No Opinion

114 Yes 25

77

Yes No No Opinion

. . . ..

95 34

.. . .····· . 87

99

Yes No No Opinion

Contributor& Marin.1 P.1rapi11i

Ryan Peterson

83 34

111 26 JasonLeboe 79

No No Opinion

Staff Writers Trevor Fik Just111 Orkwiu Jord.111Pirdwr )tlf,I 11uirt

113 26

Nick llhcls Alex W.nkins

77

Daar,van der Kroon 81 35

100

Yes No No Opinion

105

34 77

Printed By C,o.m.d Wdi Pr,·,,

RobMela11s011 Yes No No Opinion

78 31 107 The Cascade i;. UJ-IV'sautonomousstu• dent new~papcr.LIprovidt:s11forumfor UFV ,1udc111s to have !heirjourn:!li,111 published.Jt also ucls u~w, ultrm(ltivc press for the FmserVullL•y, TI1~Cu'ieadc i, fundedwith UFV ,tudcnt fund,. The Ca'-C11dc is p11hli;,hc1l every Friduywith a cir.ulation of :UXX) und is di,tnbuted at LfFVcampusesund lhmughoulAbbot,fonl, Chilliwi.tck,umJMission.The Cw":Hdci, a mcmhcrof the Canadinn Univcr,;ityPress, a nationalcoopcmtivc of 75 uniwr,ity mul1·01lcgcn,·wspa, pcrs from Yit·miia m Sr J,1hn•,. TI1c C'a,cadofollow, the CUP clhk,11policy concerningmuterialof u prcjucl1ciul or oppn:ssiw muur\l, Suhn1b,io11,nrc pidcnud in clectrouic fornmleither throughe"mudor on CD. Pfoa-.csend submbsion, in ",txt" or ".doc" frnmutonly.

Aniclcsand letterstn tht• cditrn mu,t he typed.·me Cuscudci\!scrvcsthe right tu cclitsubmission, forclunly ,mo lcuglh.

The Cw,cadt:will nor print any nniclc.s that Cllnt,,ini.u;"t, ,cxhl. hnmophohic or lihcllouscontcnl.'llw wntcr'snamc uml studentnu111bt·r 111u,r he ~uhmit• tcd wirheach ,uhmis-ion. Letter, to the editor mus!be undt·r250worcl, if mlc11<lcd i'urpnnt. Only on~ lctwi 10the cdirorper writer in ,tny l(ivcnc<liUon. Op111iun, expresseddo not ncces,urily n.•n~clth.itol UPV,C:Jsca1k,tall and collective,m nssn.:ialcdmcrnhcrs.

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THE CASCADE

FRIDAY, MARCH 26th, 2010

X-FilesStar Talksat UFV about Skepticism PAUL BRAMMER NEWS& OPINION EDITOR

C

limate change is the biggest problem facing the globe in the twenty-first century, and countries such as Canada must be· gin to fundamentally change their outlooks to deal with the situation, according to actor and skeptic William B. Davis.

Davis appeared at U-House on the Abbotsford campus on March 16, as a guest of the UFV Atheists, Skeptics and Humanists Club.

Davis is best known for his role as "The Smoking Man'' in legendary television series TheX-Fi/es.He is also a respected theatre director who lends his name to the William Davis Centre acting school in Vancouver. In his youth, Davis was also a national champion water-skier.

Davis' appearance at UFV, however, was to represent his views as a prominent Canadian skeptic.

Some of the topics that Davis' talk touched upon were Davis' role in The X-Files,which included reconciling his beliefs as a skeptic with a prominent role in a television show concerning the supernatural. Richard Dawkins, climate change and the problematic issue of "good and evil" were other topics that were discussed.

ln terms of The X-Files, Davis said that at many fan conventions, viewers of The X•Files assumed that Davis believed in government conspiracies and the supernatural. Davis confirmed that, instead, professional actors will take whatever work they can get, and don't have the comfort of being able to pick and choose work according to their principles.

Despite this complaint, Davis said that he very much enjoyed working on The X-Files,even though he only ending up being cast in his part by accident. The significance of Davis' role did not become apparent until the series wore on. Indeed, Davis said that his most important work on the first season was walking down a hallway and placing a file mysteriously into a flling cabinet.

During Davis' first days of work on the show, he was unable to find a comfortable way for his character to position himself. Eventually, Davis decided that his character would lean against a cabinet and smoke a cigarette. Now, Davis said, there is a trading card of him in that pose, and hb character has passed into television mythology.

Richard Dawkins was cited by Davis as a personal hero for his writings on belief and atheism.

During his run on The X-Files,Pa· vis said that he was forced into an ethical dilemma when Dawkins publicly criticized the show for its promotion of a belief in the supernatural. Davis managed this prob-

AbbotsfordPolice to Name and Shame Gangsters

lem by coming to the solution that Dawkins had no evidence for his assumption, and it was based on a subjective notion which contravened Dawkins' ethos of scientific objectivity.

In writing his memoirs (which are still a work-in-progress), Davis was prompted by a friend to discuss what had led him to skepticism. He rebutted that the onus should be on the believer to convince the skeptic of the existence of Cod, and not the other way around. He commented that non• theism is surely the default belief, and a void of belief is the starting point for humans at birth.

One of the issues that Davis has with art is its constant need to boil down complex issues into the opposition of "good and evil." He argues that taking such a black-andwhite approach to situations that are filled with grey area is a dangerous way to look at the world.

This thinking also permeates all walks of life; for example, in 2001, previous U.S. President George W. Bush said in an address to a joint session of Congress that "Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists," referring to the attacks of 9/11 and the country's imminent military response.

Referring to climate change, Davis said that he was startled by the

inactivity of the global community to take decisive, multi-lateral action on the issue, which he considers to be the gravest problem facing the planet. Despite the disputes over the science and severity of climate change, he highlighted the population explosion that has occurred in his lifetime - from 2 billion people to 6 billion people in half a century - as an indicator of human demand for the planet's resources.

While some predictions made about environmental degeneration have been overstated, Davis said that there were other areas where the destruction of climate change has been wildly underrated. For example, the Arctic was once believed to be free of ice by 2050;predictions now put that date at 2015.

The issue of "good and evil" may be a contributing factor in the continued inertia on tackling climate change. In climate change, Davis explained, there is no "bad guy," unlike global terrorism, which has encouraged us to view some as villains and others as heroes.

After the talk, there was a question period. Some of the questions Davis fielded were on climate change and its impact on the glob• al economy, and the maximum population of the Earth.

Israeli Settlement Sparks Controversy JORDAN Pl'ICHERforeign affairs did last week in colSTAFF WRITER laboration with a number of our

srael has strained its ties with the United States and Canada by moving forward with a plan to construct 1,600 apartmentii in a Jewish neighbourhood in the hotly contested East Jerusalem, which is the sector of Jerusalem that Palestine has claimed for its future capital.

Despite much opposition and condemnation from both American and Canadian officials, Israel's foreign minister has expressed that the Israeli government has no plans to abandon the controversial construction plan, according to the Clobeand Mail.

The Globeand Mail went on to report that the controversy broke out when the Israeli government announced their plan during a visit by American Vice-President, Joe Biden. The Palestinian government immediately responded to the announcement by threatening to withdraw from peace talks with the United States that were supposed to begin in the near future.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon is quoted in the Toronto Star as saying that "We firmly believe in two sovereign states living side by side in harmony. That is the position that the government of Canada has put forward. On expansion into east Jerusalem, we feel that this is contrary to international law and therefore condemn it. We're very concerned with what is taking place."

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper outlined the conversation he had with Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

"I have discussed this with Prime Minister Netanyahu and of course I repeated the govemment of Can• ada's position, as the minister of

I

Globeand Mail, with much of the TREVORFIK Lower Mainland's gang activity

STAFFWRITER

I

n an attempt to explore all legal avenues available to them in order to reach the targeted "65 to 70 per cent reduction in gang activity for 2010," the Abbotsford Police Department (APD) is considering a bold new initiative to publicly name and shame known gang members and associates.

The proposed "Top 10" gangster list, which is currently under construction by data analysts in the Fraser Valley, will be publicly displayed by the APD and will feature the pictures and related offence information of each individual on the list.

"We are going to be compiling an inventory of all of the gangsters who are either living in our community or plying their trade in our community. From that, we will be making our top-10 list as a law-enforcement document, sort of a tar· get she t for us,''Abbotsford Police Constable Ian MacDonald stated.

The creation of the list comes at the conclusion of a year which saw eight of Abbotsford's 11 homicides being linked to gang activity. Abbotsford has become a hub for gang violence, according to the

linking back to the Fraser Valley.

This has led to other communities in British Columbia to consider a Top 10 list of their own. Vancouver police in particular will be watching the initiative unfold with marked interest, as much of the gang activity that originates in Abbotsford ends up in B.C's biggest city.

"If it's successful, certainly we want to follow or build on best practices," said Vancouver Police Constable Lindsey Houghton.

MacDonald and the rest of the APD have made it known they in• tend to "arrest those people on the Top 10 list."

"You're facing organizations that are motivated solely by money, that don't play by any other rules. They are heavily armed, organized," MacDonald said.

Details of who will make the Top 10 list are still in the planning stage, as the APD is currently preparing a catalogue of all gangsters with known criminal connections to the Abbotsford area.

Although the Top 10 list has moved ahead as planned, the potential ramifications of releasing a list of known gangsters to the

public are fraught with issues surrounding privacy and safety. Constable MacDonald did recognize that the idea is still in the planning stage, but that nothtng is "beyond the realm of consideration."

"Along the same lines of publishing any person's name and connecting them to criminal activity, you would have to have evidence of a charge or patterns," MacDonald said.

The initiative has thus far received positive feedback from victims of gang violence; Eileen Mohan, mother of Surrey Six victim Chris Mohan, stated, "They're [gangsters] hiding themselves beside everyday people and trying to get lost amongst us. We're like a protection for them."

The increased focus on gang activity by the APD has already be· gun to show results, with several "low-key'' raids of "dial-a-dope'' operations around the city. One such raid by the Abbotsford Police Strike Team led to the ~eizure of several thousand dollars worth of cocaine and heroin at a Bakerview home.

"As an organization, we're going to make the city of Abbotsford a horrible place to be a drug dealer or a gangster,'' MacDonald said.

allies. Our position on the particular issue at hand is well known. At the same time I indicated to Prime Minister Netanyahu, and would indicate to all involved in this particular conflict, that I hope they will all do their best efforts to see their way to resuming peace talks in some form as soon as possible."

The United States government has taken a similar hard-line approach to Israel's expansion into east Jerusalem, and also the tim• ing of the announcement. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called the timing of the announcement "insulting," as reported by the TorontoStar.

However, despite the disagreement, the United States will not cut the funding they provide to Israel-which is mostly military related-because it is a mutually beneficial agreement, according to the WashingtonPost. Furthermore Vice-President Biden said, "It is incumbent on all parties to grow an atmosphere of support for the negotiations and not to complicate them," as reported by the Montreal

Gazette.

Government officials from around the western world are condemning Israel's move, according to the MontrealGazette.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband called th@settlement a "bad decision at the wrong time. It will give strength to those who argue that Israel is not serious about peace."

Bernard Valero, a spokesman for the French Foreign Ministry, said the decision is "totally ill-timed at the moment when peace negotiations arc just restarting between Israelis and Palestinians.'' Valero went on to state: "It is in any case illegal under international Jaw."

THE CASCADE

4

FRIDAY, MARCH 26th, 2010

Anti-racism March Planned to Counter White Suprem~cist Group JORDAN PlIOlER STAFF WRITER n anti-racism rally was planned for March 21 in Vancouver, in response to a march planned by the white supremacist group, "Advocatci. for White Civil Rights." The rally encompassed three cities in the Lower Mainland - Coquitlam, Burnaby, and Vancouver.

Maitland Cassia, one of the rally organizers, spoke of the formulation of the march and the reaction it has gained. "The response has been amazing! Basically, I threw up a flag and started running when I found out the Nazis were planning to march; now there's a small army standing behind us."

"The original heads-up came from Calgary ... I forwarded it to a bunch of the boys that night, and shit just blew up. 6y the time I'd gotten back from class the next day there was already a cou ntcr-march event up on Facebook, courtesy of the Ridge Radicals, sol jumped on board and started publicizing it."

Cassia continued: "In short order, it became apparent that there was a need for an organized presence, capable of interv(;?ningIf they did attempt to attack the attendees, so the Vancouver area chapter of Anti-Racist Action was re-formed. lt's primarily my endeavor; I was a member in Vancouver 15 years ago (the last time this was a problem), so I already know the ropes. We are now working with ARC (the Anti-Racist Canada collective) and OPP (One People's Project), which has recently expanded into Canada, as far as sharing info."

Cassia went on to outline what groups will be joining the anti-racism rally. "No One Is Illegal (NOII) and the Anti-Poverty Committee (APC) are also sending contingents out, along with numerous other groups. 1'herc should be some representation from the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV), a bunch of people from the Students for a DQmocratic Society (SDS)chapter and the Social Work

Viewers drivingchange in news media

FirstNations groupspeaks outfor Palestine

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•••• •••• •••• 1111

Student Association (SWSA) are coming out, most of the publicizing on campus has been hand bills and word of mouth. Our Simon Fraser University (SFU) members managed to get notification emails sent out through most of their departments, and we've been canvassing at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver Community College (VCC), Kwantlcn and Camosun as well, so overall

Talking Canada's roleintorture

student attendance should be good. The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) recently donated 1000 copies of the hand bill to us free of charge; 1 assume their membership will be represented at the event."

"Several other unions have been notified, most with favorable feedback so far. Considering that we've pu lied this together on two week's notice with zero funds, the unity displayed by the entire Lower Mainland in mobilizing against these fascists has been astounding."

A short period of time after the announcement that the white supremacist group would march, it became difficult to find any information at all about their proposed march; their movement had gone from highly publicized to underground in a matter of days. Explaining this, Cassia said: "Advocates for white civil rights seems to have bit off significantly more than they could chew when they announced this event, we assume that's the reason they have gone Loground. As they say though,'assumption is the mother of all f--ups, and we will be pre-

Students, unions, vowtofight budget proposals

pared for at least 50 hardcores on their side, whether they show up or not."

Cassia explained: "Right now, Travis Annan and Lee Peacock [two of the organizers of the NeoNazi march] arc claiming that they arc victims of identity theft, and that they have nothing to do with their own ev(;?nt.As ridiculous as this claim is, I think it speaks volumes about how desperate they are to avoid us right now. Whether or not any Nazis actually show up remains to be seen at this point, but it's incontrovertible that they planned to do so, and we will consider it a victory if they don't."

Despite the fact that this year's march was formed as oppositional, Cassia thinks that there should be an anti-racism march every year, "March 21 is the International Day for the Elimination of Racism, ln commemoration of the Sharpeville massacre [the murder of 69 black demonstrators in South Africa in 1960].There should be a rally to this end anyways, and we would like to sec it become an annual event in Vancouver."

There is also a similar movement happening on Vancouver Island in opposition to a white supremacist group called "Blood and Honor" who are associated with the largest white supremacist group in 13.C.,"Volksfront."

On Sunday, during the rally, the white supremists were in the minority. Hundreds of anti-racism marchers turned up at the rally.

After the rally, Cassia was quoted in TheProvincesaying "I'm pretty comfortable dedaring victory."

Inpursuit ofproperty

Canadian media Ison"thecuspofa change that "The hopewegavetothePalestinians Isthat AsmoreCanadians protest theconditions of Acoalition of90student lobby groups, unions and Theresults ofthe17thannual Royal Bank of hashugepotential fornews;according toJenni- we'vebeenunderoccupation for500years, and persons detained bytheU.S. government, Andrew community organizations arecondemning the Canada (RB() Homeownership Study released this ferMcGuire, general manager andeditor-In-chiefwearestillhere," saidMelissa Franklin.

Thompson believes It'sa hopeful signthathuman Quebec government's plantoreturn toa balanced month showthat15percentofCanadians aged Isa member ofthe7thGeneration lndig- rights budget by2013-14. ofCBC news.

AndIt'stheviewers andreaders who Franklin arestarting tolimitthewaysInwhich a 18to24are"very likely" tobuyproperty Inthe enous Visionaries (7thGIV), a grassroots organlza- statecantreatIndividuals.

While theprovincial budget Isstillaround two arebehind thenewmedia shift. nexttwoyears- almost doubling theeightper weeks away, therehavebeenIndications - In"This change IsbeingdMven firstandforemost by tlonfromHaskell Indian Nations University In Thompson - global governance program centwhoweresoInterested lastyear. theaudience themselves; youlead,weadapt.•• Kansas.

Thegroup traveled toPalestine InAugust officer attheBalslllle School ofInternational duding a callfromtheprovincial finance minister Anneke Cundasawmy, anOttawa realtor, Insists orelse;McGuire said. fora•cultural revolution• - thatuserfeesand thatowning a homewhile stillyoung Ispossible of2009tolearnaboutthestruggles Palestinians Affairs InWaterloo, Ont.- wasa panelllst last Themedia revolution, shesaid,Isaboutpeople faceascompared tothosethatNorlh American weekend Ina discussion Canada's roleIntorture othercost-saving measures willbeonthetable. because she'sdoneItherself-shebought her FirstNations people experience. getting news"ontheirownterms, whenthey InAfghanistan attheUniversity ofWaterloo.

He According tothecoalition, which Includes allof firstproperty at24. wantIt,howtheywantItandnotsaying, 'Wait, TheIdea totravel toPalestine firstcameto7thGIV Cited thetreatment ofOmar Khadr andMaher Quebec's active student lobby groups, thepos"You cancomeupwithdownpayment money youhavetocometousata certain timefora whensomeofItsmembers, Including thosewho Ararascasesthataregetting Canadians tospeak slblllty ofuserfeesandtheprivatization ofsoclal somehow, andyoubuya property before yougo prescribed meal!• spoke attheevent, tooka classcalled Decolonlza-outagainst torture. services willhurtordinary Quebecers.

Intofirstyear .... Whynothaveyourroom· Claudette Carbonneau, president ofthe "ItIstheproverbial paradigm shift- a new tionatHaskell University.

Thecourse's professor Theevent, sponsored bytheKitchener-Waterloo matesbepicked byyouandhavethempayyour toPalestine before, anddrewpara)- Anti-Torture world where theviewers andreaders havemore hadtraveled Coalition, brought together members Confederation dessyndlcats natlonaux, Quebec's mortgage foryou?" control, where theconcept ofup-to-date andnew leisbetween thepredicaments ofPalestinians and fromuniversities andthecommunity tohear second-largest union federation, saidthatforthe Alegria recommends students saddled withdebt andbreaking newsIstakentonewlevels; she experts speak onthetopicof"Confrontlng the people thecoalition represents, public services are would bebetteroffpaying offtheirloansfirstand American FirstNations people. withresolutions, treaties, Darkness: Canadian Complicity InTorture In veryimportant fortheirquality oflife. said."For viewers, Itallows themtomakeuptheir "Wesawslmllarltles takeafewyearstosavemoney. ownminds aboutwhat's Inthenews; andfor andbroken promises," Franklin recalled.

Afghanistan.• ThegroupIscalling for"adequate"fundlng of •savesomemoney, livewithyourparents, put newsproducers, Itactsasacheck anda balance. •webelieve public services andsocial programs Instead of thatmoney aside," Alegria said.

It'sallonestruggle.

It'snottheir Thisdiscussion followed a rallyheldMarch 3on MPPeterBrald's cuts,andIsopposed totheprivatization ofpublic "My Transparency Isnowavirtue, andanessential struggle orourstruggle.

It'severyone's struggle. thestepsofKitchener-Waterloo viewIsthatat18,It'sJustnotInthecards. partoftheprocess."

Weareallhuman.

Weareallbrothers andsisters office, which demanded •afullIndependent Whocanputdowna healthy downpayment at services.

Inthisworld." public Inquiry IntoCanadian compllclty Intorture They arealsoopposed toIncreases Inthecostof 18yearsold?"sald Shannon Donaghey, a secondInAfghanistan,• saidLuke Stuart, co-ordinator of electricity Evan LePage - TheConcordlan forresldentlal useandIncreases Infees yearbusiness management student atRyerson Andra Cernavskls - TheMcGIii Dally boththeprotest andthepaneldiscussion. forpublic services Including health, education and University. public transit.

Alexandra Bosanac - TheEyeopener Megan Raftls - TheCord Jacob Serebrln - CUP Quebec Bureau Chief

FRIDAY, MARCH26th, 2010

THECASCADE

UFV ResearchDay

5

UFV Oxfam putsHarper in the Toilet

have an interest in that area, he or she can direct you to somebody in cnch for the best rcscnrch done in their department whose interest is their respective fields. Also, the more in tune. Start early and make V.P,Academic and Provost and the it worth your while; actually put V.P.Research will both be lrnnding some effort into it.11 There aretangible incentives for out cash priies of $200 - the V.P. Academic is awarding the best studenhl to devote themselves to overall research, nnd the V.P.Re- their res!!arch, not least of which search hands out the award for the being the possibility of gaining best overall presentation. There credits towards their undergraduate degree. 11A lot of times you will actu• ally get a credit for it. Our students get a six credit course for doing their research, and it looks really good on a CV,11 Wilen confirmed.

Due to UFV's status as a teaching• oriented university, there can be benefits is a best experimental research and drawbacks to undertaking award of $100 handed out by the research here rather than a larger, research-based institution. Wilen luminescence dating lab.

Ron Wilen, professor of biology explained: "W!! are not a res!!arch at UFV, explained the importance oriented university, therefore [reof research to UFV students. "A lot search is] done at a Jot more perof [students] have been doing it as sonal level than it is at a major re• cours!!work - for example, ind!!• search univ!!rsity."

"Depending on the area of expendent studies biology students do it as a 409 project. Others just pertise, there are some definite do it for the experience and work- limitations to doing research here. ing with a professor to further We don't have the huge infrastructheir interest, they can put it on ture that big universities have, but their resume when they go apply we work around it. We find projfor jobs," ects that do work within the conThere is the opportunity for straints that we have here." students to take their research to a The UPV Research Day is open higher .level of recognition. Wilen to the general public, and Wilen said: "For some of our students, encouraged people to come down, yes, they do go on to different con- and espGcially students, to view fo1tmc.:es.[For ex"mple,],chemistJTy Lhe presentations and ask qucs• students will ofte,, go on to diffcrr tions. "We wi:11encourage studenti; ent competitions." to talk because that is really part of Wilen offered some ndvicc for the whole process as a researcher UPV students who will be un• - to be able to defend your work, dertaklng research in the future. to be able to convey what you have "Contact a faculty member very done to the gencrnl public." early on and talk to your faculty "We want theni to talk to other members. That's one of the advanstudents cause that will encourage tages to being here, is that faculty interest of other students in remembers arc a lot more nccessiblc sca rch [and] that's really the point than they arc at larger universities. to a lot of it, is to spread the word Even if that faculty member doesn't that you can do research here."

across the globe.

SONJA SZLOVICSAK

three faculties taking part will be

NEWS & OPINION EDITOR presenting three prizes of $150 FV students can earn as many as six credits and the chance to win cqsh prizes and recognition for research they complete at UFV. The bei.t forum for UFV student resenrch is the Student Research Day, which takes place on March 26 in B Building and C Building on

U

UNIVERSITY OFTHEFRASER VALLEY the Abbotsford campus.

Students from the three main faculties of Professional Studies, Sciences and Arts are all showcasing work. Students from Trinity Western University and UBC Okanagan are also presenting research. However, only research conducted at UFV will be eligible to win the various prizes offered.

In total, there are 51 total posters and oral pre8entations taking place, a number of which arc joint entrants. Sixty-two students are participating, including 20 students from Thompson Rivers University and UBC Okanagan.

The day is split into poster and oral presentation~. Prom 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., students are required to spend at- l~st 90 min111tes,answering questions about their poster in Room B121. At the same time, the oral presentations will be taking place in C Building; every presentation is 15 minutes in length.

Once the presentations are over at 4 p.m., there will be a barbecue from 5 p.m.1 and the awards ceremony will bcgir1 at 6 p.m.

There are judges from the faculty present, as well as judges from the public, The dean of !!ach of the

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF "It's a world wide event happening, called the worlds longest toilet PAUL FALARDEAU queue. n,at's why we were getting ARTS& LIFEEDITOR people to line up at the toilet, just to represent that not everyone has a toilet ... and definitely not a flush n Monday, if you walked through the great hall of A toilet," Rickard explained. building, you may have noticed an According to worldwaterday2010.info, a lack of proper unusual sight. UFV's Oxfam group setup a toilet to raise awareness of sanitation facilities leads to conWorld Water Day, and placed a taminated drinking water. Appicture of Prime Minist!!r Stephan proximat!!ly 18 per cent of the world's population defecates in Harper in the toilet.

"We're representing the 'At the the open. The result of this is the Table Campaign' which is basi- possible contamination of clean water sources, which can lead to cally a campaign that is focusing on bringing in citizens voices at the spread of infectious diseases.

According to the website, "Unthe table, to the G8/G20 when they make decisions on global issues," safe water causes 4 billion cases of Laura Rickard, a participant in the diarrhoea each year, and results in demonstration, explained.

2.2 million deaths, mostly of chil"It's also world water day to- dren under five."

The demonstrators place a picday, so we had the toilet down in the cafeteria and had people line ture of Stephan Harper in the up behind it to demonstrate for toilet, as Canada will be hosting sanitation water rights around the the next GS summit and the next world," another participant, Ash- G20 Summit. This June, the thirtyley Aune explained. sixth GBSummit will be hosted in Huntsville, Ontario and the sixth World Water Day was proposed G20 Summit will be hosted in Toin 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and ronto, Ontario.

Development. In 1993, March 22 The host of the CS Summit traditionally sets the agenda for nebecame the official day to observe World Water Day. Each year, the gotiations the summit. Canadn day focuses on a particular aspect ha8 been criticized for not focus· of fresh water. This year, the theme ing enough on environmental iswai; "Clean Water for a liealthy sues, like climate change. Some World.'' experts fear that climate change The event Oxfom held was a will negatively affect the availpart of thit; year's clean water ability of clean drinking water in demonstrations, which took place third world countries.

O

CASAsupports'federal co-operation' of studentlobbygroup; EMMA CiODMERE CUPOTTAWABUREAU CHIEF he creation of a united, nationa I student movement may not be that far off, if the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations has their way.

Student leaders from CASA schools across the country passed a motion two w!!eks ago supporting some of the principles outlined in the anonymously written, widely circulated "Open Letter to Canada's Student Leaders," which has called for a "new model for student representation to the federal government."

The letter, posted at *studen tie ad eropen l etter.wordpress. com* and allegedly written by former CASA and Canadian Fed!!ra• tion of Students (CFS) members, promotes the idea of a unified federation that would allow provincial associations to work independently to develop policy, while being able to come together on a national level to lobby the federal government.

CFS is the largest student lobbying organization in Canada, representing over 80 student asso-

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ciations. CASA is the second-largest, representing about 25 student groups.

The motion to endorse some of the letter's concepts was presented to CASA members by the Univer• sity of the Fraser Valley Student Union Society (UFVSUS). UFVSUS president Jack Brown explained that they were motivated not only by the open letter, but also what they consider as a lack of a strong provincial student organization in B.C.1 where only the British Co• lumbia component of the CFS currently exists.

"We were never really interested in joining that group for a variety of reasons. We joined CASA, (and) we like it more or less, but we think it could be something more, 11 said Brown.

"We think that the best way to move forward is to unify the student movement in a way that is federal and respectful of each distinct (province's) needs that arise,'' Brown continued, adding that CASA members were "overwhelmingly" in favour of the idea.

Beverly Eastham, vice-president external of the University of Alberta Students' Union, was one

of ::;everal ::;upporters of the motion and indicated that other student groups have also endorsed the idea.

"The fact that this is really just put out as an open letter - as a set of ideas and not a set of ideas with anyone's name on it - makes it a little bit easier for everyone to sort of look at it as just a set of ideas, and think about what that means to the student movement in Canada," said Eastham, who is also the chair of the Council of Alberta Univ!!rsity Students, a provincial lobby group that recently passed a motion similar to CASA's.

Timothy Cullen, president of University of Prince Edward Island Students' Union, also voted in favour of the motion but noted that the open letter still presented some issues.

"We are not, by having passed the motion, endorsing 100 per cent of what is said in the letter," he said. ''Certainly there (are) a lot of negative things that are said about CFS and our organization, and we don't necessarily agree with the characterizations of some of the other student groups that are part of the movement."

"But if we don't recognize that (this is) a discussion that's going to be happening, it's going to go on and it's going to happen without us, and we would rather be a part of it."

CASA chair Tina Robichaud indicated that while no specific timclines or dates for meetings and discussions have been set up yet, CASA hopes to meet with partners later in June, around the time of the organization's next conforence.

The next CASA conference, to be held at the University of Prince Edward Island this summer, will also offer to members the opportu· nity to elect a new national director. The organization announced March 15 that current national director Arati Sharma will not be seeking a second term and will be stepping down April 1.

Some concerns have been raised over potential effects her departure may have on the organization, including that the McMaster Students' Union (MSU) - with which Sharma previously held an executive position - is rumoured to be considering leaving CASA. Post-secondary blogger

Joey Coleman alluded to a connection between the resignation and the MSA's concerns on his blog, *joeycoleman.ca.W MSU vice-president education Chris Martin denied the reports, but said that the union remains concerned over CASA's operations.

"We've had some long-stand· ing issues with the organization. ... They hav!! to do with the fee structure, they have to do with the voting structure, and most often, they have to do with the attitudes of the member schools around the table," Martin said.

"There are changes that we would need to see before we would consider an upgrade to full membership, as we are only associate members right now," he continued.

Martin further indicated there was no connection between the MSU's current feelings toward CASA and Sharma's resignation, and explained they will continue their associate membership into next year. Associate members pay half the fees of full members, but do not have voting rights within the organization.

THECASCADE

6

FRIDAY, MARCH 26th, 2010

Studying Abroad Pt. 7: Infidel (Solllewhat) Assin1ilated them drive. Red traffic lights are MARINA PARAPINI ing optional and pedestrians don't have the

CONTRIBUTOR right of way. Parking is done by braille

rustrated because everywhere she went people stared, one of my F roommates asked me self-consciously if she smelled American. I told her no, but that she was the first person I had seen in France laughing loudly on the streets. They tend to keep a poker face.

Even though you kiss virtual strangers in greeting and stand practically spooning in grocery lines, you are forbidden to smile at a person of the opposite sex (especially if you're a girl) unless you mean to flirt with them.

French culture in Nice is somewhat diluted from the consistent onslaught of tourists and its close proximity to Italy. It has been a hotspot for the rich for generations, especially the British, the Americans and now the Russians.

The fashion is more relaxed than Paris (people wear colours other than black) and the architecture is more Italian. But in other ways, it remains very French.

A French person is never wrong, which is proven time and again when observ-

(bumpers are used liberally), and if you're crossing the street, cars rev their engines to give you incentive to trot across as quickly as possible. Just to reiterate as emphatically as possible, pedestrians do not have the right of way.

On my walk home from class one day a small side street was blocked by a parked car with its flashers on. The owner was having coffoc at the corner cafc. While furious honking drivers were piling up on the street, he leisurely lit a smoke, put on his leather jacket and moseyed over to his car completely unabashed and unashamed, not to mention a little pissed off at the interruption of his coffee brc<1k. I have never seen such a level of haughty entitlement displayed by someone blatantly in the wrong.

The French work to live, not vice versa. A work week in France is 35 hours: most shops are closed Sundays as well as for a couple of hours in the afternoon for lunch. They jealously protect their

holidays. If it is a long weekend, most stores will take an extra day off to elongate the festivities. The school r attend has scheduled two weeks of no class and not even bothered to try and cloak them as "reading" breaks. A French su r• vcy showed that when asked what they enjoy most in life, work wasn't even included on the list. They live for the magical triumvirate of family, friends and food.

French Culture and Civilization classes are dedicated to educating us on the finer aspects of being French.

For example, we discussed what contributed lo the typically-long life span and thin figures of the French. We addressed smaller portions, a more <1ctlve lifestyle, wine in moderation, a more relaxed pace of life ... and then break came and she immediately lit a smoke.

I will always remember how the first class ended with the professor begging us to observe how French dress and act, and to try and not act too foreign when out on the streets. Effectively, assimilate you infidels, and learn from the cultured French!

Save A Turtle- IN 3-D! JED MINORplanet, humans arc going

PRODUCTIONto spend the remaining rt!· sources from the oil-boom wcnl to sec Avatarin 3-0. I'm not years creating fantastical proud of it. I still think James landscapes to distract ourCameron is a dick but nevertheless selves from the destruction I went, and I have to admit I was around us. imprt!ssed by the visuals. ImagWe will continue to gaze ining life on other worlds is one at our own 3-D navels until of the most appealing aspects of the Hollywood ride stops science fiction. After all, in an in- and we RII hav ' t{l get off finite unive1·sc there must also be and wander away into a dreary and Iifeless hellsinfinite forms that life can take.

I was intrigued by the original- capc. That, or maybe I just ity of the creatures in Avatar and ate sorne bad popcorn. the overall jungle design, despite The clOSl!stthing I have ever seen to the hallucinothe fact that most of the creatures were really just mash-ups of ter- genic jungle of Avatar on restrial forms with extra legs add- this planet was a tropical reef off the Atlantic coast of ed for good measure. [ then went to sec Alice in Won- Panama. If you have never snorkelled in the Caribbean l sugderland in 3-D, which was another visual smorgasbord and despite gest you do before you die, just so it being an equally crappy movie, you can see the coolest looking it did feature very inventive crea- things this planet has ever produced. ture design.

It looks like a Doctor Seuss acid Then it dawned on me: rather than try and preserve the biodi- trip. It looks like a Salvador Dali versity that we now have on our painting made love to a Gaudi ca-

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thedral and spawned Technicolor peyote babies. I didn't know those colours or shapes existed in nature, and for me il was a truly religious experience. But it didn't last long.

As soon as [ was topside I realized that what I had just seen was vanishing quickly. According to

the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, 25 per cent of the world's coral reefs have been destroyed permanently and a further 25 are in imminent danger. This is due Lo a number of issues, such as a rise in ocean temperatures due to global warming and also agrlcu ltu ral run-off, which creates coral-destroying algae blooms.

Do we care though?

Fuck no. Fuck a sca-lurlle.

Honkcy can't cat polyps.

All we want to know is how many whores did Tiger bang before he slipped up and let us all in on the titillating details? Cuc the moral outrage, while we continue to ass-rape the only planet we will ever know.

Perhaps I am overstating my case. I usually try to come across as more reasonable in my opinion pieces, but frankly f think the language is well deserved.

If You Want Your Schoolto Join the NCAA You Must Prepare and a third vaguely COLIN SHARPoverweight, offensive American stereotype.

THEPEAK

here's no better way to prepare for Division ll athletic comT petition than taking advice from someone who played high school basketball until 10th grade. It's a proven fact, don't you dare try and dispute me, because I swear I will finish you if you undercut me on this one.

So, whether you arc a basketball player, a soccer player, a ping· pong player, or simply a fan, pay attention and the NCAA will bow to its glory.

1. Get assimilated into American culture Competing in the NCAA means your team will be hopping around the United States of America. In order to be able to compete with them, you must become like them.

Therefore, it's essential that everyone on your sports teams buys a handgun, becomes somewhat

2. Know your geography Your American adversaries will have no knowledge of the geography of our country. In order to get a leg up on the competition, you must learn everything about your opponents' towns. If you go to Billings, Mont. to face the Yellowjackets of Montana State University, and don't know that Billings was named for Frederick H. Billings, the president of the Northern Pacific Railroad from 1879 to 1881, it will be impossible for you to compete. Impossible.

3. Run the triangle offence It's the offence Tex Winter designed that helped the Chicago Bulls win six NBA titles in eight years, and you should use it as well. This goes for everyone, not just the basketball team. l fully expect swimmers to use the triangle in some manner. At the very least, bring a basketball and throw it at other swimmers.

4. Attack the weak You're the new guys now, and if movies about high school are any indication, people tend to pick on the new guy. Let's be honest, have high school movies ever misrepresented reallty? To combat this, you must find the weakest link and pounce. The Crusaders of Northwest Na:.1arene University seem to suck at a lot of sports. Apparently this group of Christian Crusaders haven't been as successful as their 12th century counterparts, so they would make a great rival school.

5. Keep training and stay healthy Sure, the United States brings new challenges, but keep on keepin' on. I suggest all your athletes hit the gymnasium and toss around the medicine ball, stay healthy with some sarsaparilla, and whatever else you athletes do these days. I don't know, I'm not a doctor.

Extinction is profane. 1t is a permanent loss of possibility and it makes our environmental heritage poorer every single second. l know that we all have to live in our destructive-by-naturn North American world, but 1 urge you, dear reader, to make an impact by lessening your own impact and donating to a conservation organization today! l am far from pcr(cct but 1 donate to Greenpeace while trying to reduce, reuse and recycle where 1 can. Sometimes I don't know if I am making a difference, but I still keep on trying, and this much I know- I will sear my eyes out with hot-pokers before I go sec another self-serving, $300 million, JamcsCameron-directed, piece of pseudo-cnvironmentalistic eye-candy bullshit. I would rather spend my money on conservation so maybe my kids can sec the real thing.

You can find out more at: www. costaricaturtles.corn, w ww.grecnpeace.org and www.seashepard. org.

FRIDAY,MARCH26th, 2010

THE CASCADE

Beauty Pageants Still Ugly as Hell queens, however, invariably have BMls falling on the lower end of CONTRIBUTOR the scale; in fact, more than one half of Miss America winners since he face of the modern beauty 1970 have had BMl's defined as pageant has undergone little underweight. The fact that Weight change since its humble origins Watchers is advertised in several as what was essentially a bathplaces on the Miss America webing suit contest. While the methsite should emphasize the interest ods of judging have been altered in slimness among both pageant throughout the years to include viewers and participants. talent competitions and interviews All things considered, pageants meant to test knowledge and reseernto fail miserably in meeting veal character, these aspects are their claims to recognize women largely superficial. Case in point: for their talents and achievements, unattractive contestants never and at the heart of it all are actu· win, regardless of their impresally 1,omething akin to dog shows. sive talent, poise, charm, or level Think that's a pretty strong of education. claim? Dog shows also judge conAs anyone who saw the Youtestants according to a specific Tube clip of Miss South Carolina's weight. Additionally, a good por- ideal, including a focus on teminterview at the Miss Teen USA tion of non-Caucasian contestants perament. The irony here is that Pageant can attest, substantial have relatively light skin, and alter temperament seems of more vital qualities such as intelligence are the appearance of their hair to con- importance to one's ranking in a not necessarily the deciding factor form to western standards. There- dog show than it docs in a beauin pageant victory. fore it seems that global beauty ty pageant. Beauty pageants arc Regardless of whatever mission pageants are not a celebration of among the only contests in the statement or social cause organiz- diverse female beauty but rather a world that award prizes to people ers have attempted to tack onto celebration of the female endeavor for things that they are hardly rethem, beauty pageants still run to attain a largely unnatural and sponsible for. only skin deep. unattainable Caucasian standard.

Even Mr. Universe, a competi· Not only are contestants judged The bikini-contest aspect of the tion that judges men solely on apmainly on their beauty, the stan- beauty pageant has been re-la- pearance, awards individuals for dard of beauty that they are mea- beled as a test of "Health and Fi.t• physiques gained by exceptional sured against is not inclusive but ness," yet competing females are effort rather than for biologically rather a largely western ideal. One not required to demonstrate their determined attractiveness. Addiwould certainly expect representa- physical prowess in any way more tionally, athletes who are arguably tives in the Miss World pageant to challenging than parading for an born with superior ability still do embody their own country's ideal audience in high-heels and biki- not typically win any competiof attractiveness, yet this isn't the nis. This type of contest docs ab- tions without intensive training case . solutely nothing to measure what and development of their skills. .In many African countries, thin it professes to, and instead draws Giving awards to women for women aren't com;idered desir- an incorrect relationship between simply winning the genetic lottery able, in part because slimness is a thinness and health. does nothing more than emphareminder of famine. However, virProfessional female athletes are size the importance of being beautually all African representatives the picture of health and fitness, tiful above all e!s11.It's tim that in global beauty pageants have yet their 8Mb tend to range wide- pageants took more than a superlow Body Mass Indexes (BMI),and ly, and some are even technically ficial consideration of the qualities some are even technically under- classified as overweight. Pageant that arc truly worth celebrating.

_ALEX_ WATKINS

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7

UfV({ SPEAKS II

Jessica Q: Who do you think should have won best picture for the Oscars?

A: r think Avatar should have won just based on gross income and

sales.

Q: What was the last movie you saw in theatres?

A: Shutter Island.1t was predictable.

Q: Who's you favourite hockey player?

A l dunno, Crosby's pretty big right now Q; What's your favourite NHL Team?

A: Canucks. Gotta support the local team.

Q: What do you think about having to pay for the free parking?

A: J'm pretty choked.

Q; What do you think about the SUS,are they doing any good?

A: I actually don't know much about them.

We've Dumbed Down our Language to the Point of Idiocy There is a problem with the SONJA,SllOVlCSAK English language. Far too few EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 've never been a fan of the Oxford Comma. It's an overused, misunderstoi'ld piece of punctuation. 1 sec it all too often in newspapers, novels and textbooks. It bothers me.

If you don't know what the Oxford Comma is, don't feel alone. When I try to have heartfelt discussions about appropriate comma usage, I find myself being ignored or outright laughed at. It seems that the majority of people just don't care about an irksome extra comma.

The Oxford Comma occurs in writing when there is a list of two or more subjects. So, for example, in "red, white, and blue" the Oxford comma is the comma between the words "white" and "and." In this case, it is a perfectly superflous piece of punctuation.

Now, obviously, there are times when the Oxford Comma is not only appropriate, but completely necessary. If, for example, 1 were to describe a fashion challenged friend, I would state that he is wearing purple and blue striped pants, a green and orange spotted shirt, and yellow and black shoes.

Obviously, the Oxford Comma is needed to compartmentalize each hideous description of unfortunate clothing on my friend.

Now, obviously you're wondcri ng why this matters. There is a reason for this complaint about punctuation.

I

When, in our education career, do we learn how lo use English? lt people care that they don't under- shouldn't be when we reach unistand the basic mechanics of the versity. language they speak. In fact, it's But unfortunately it is. So many become so bad that we are slowly high school students spend their dumbing down our written lan- English classes learning about the guage. wonderful five paragraph essay 111crc's nothing worse than that they never learn what to put logging onto Facebook and see- in that essay. ing all my friends' status updates.

Yes, they learn about a thesis, a It's a wall of "lo!" and "rofl" and conclusion, and three paragraphs ;'lmao." with points that back up the theSee, it's extremely unlikely that sis. The problem is, without the anyone of these "lol"ers is actually very basic mechanics, the argulaughing out loud; it's even less ments that these students are trylikely that they're rolling on the ing to make are lost in the ha:t:y floor laughing. confusion that results from poor Thanks to these stupid acro- language control. nyms, we've successfully addNow, even if the five paragraph ed idiot words such as "like," essay was the be all, end all of es''ummm" and "uhhh" to our writ- says (which it is far from), there ten language. Pathetic. is still something wrong with an It's no wonder that most people education system that emphasizes don't know what the Oxford Com- essay form over basic essay buildma is (or, more importantly, how ing blocks like the semi-colon. not to use it). They can't even write Without the basics of written about what they had for breakfast English, how are students supwithout sounding like a complete posed to communicate in an intwat. crcasi ngly lltcracy based world?

Which is sad. A basic grasp of It's such a waste to wait for adultthe rules of English is necessary hood to teach the basics of Ian• to communicate in this society. guage mechanics.

We are increa~ingly moving -1way As a very wise professor once from the telephone (or, spoken explained lo me, "These kids communication) towards email spend so much time learning the (or, written communication). five paragraph essay, that they Poor grammar or punctuatio1, come up to university and here can lead to unfair judgemnts about 1 am with a l'hD trying lo teach intelligence. I'll admit to judging them how to use a semi-colon!" otherwise intelligent people beWhich explains why so many cause they don't know how to use perfectly intelligent people 11!0l11 at a semi-colon. the Oxford Comma.

Luke Q: Who do you think should have won best movie at the oscars?

A: Ponio Gapanese animee) Q: Last movie you saw?

A: Avatar but I fell asleep Q: What are you studying?

A. Bachelor of Arts with a crim minor Q.What's your favorite hockey team?

A. The Canucks Q:. Who is your favourite hockey player?

A. Trevor Linden Q.What do you think of the no-more-free-parking situation at UFV? A. Thats' like asking me what I think of the Mafia; I look upon it negatively.

Bethany Q: Who's you favourite hockey player?

A: Ryan Kesler.

Q: What do you think about the SUS, are they doing any good?

A: Well, I like the benefits. I've totally taken advantage ofthe UPASS this year.

Q: What arc you studying right now?

A: I'm in business.

Q; Do you go to any events on campus?

A: No, Tcan't say that Tdo, lam part of the rowing team though. T'mon the novice team, I love it.

FRIDAY,MARCH26th,·2010

THE CASCADE

"This sounds a bit like goodbye, in a way it is, I guess" Thoughts onthepassing ofcultmusic icon AlexChilton NICKUBELS

CONTRIBUTOR he Replacements spoke for legions of devoted followers and musicians influenced by the work of a reluctant, enigmatic music icon when they penned the tune "Alex Chilton" in 1987.

"Children by the million sing for Alex Chilton when he comes 'round/ They sing, 'I'm in love/ What's that song?/ I'm in love/ With that song,'" sings Replacements' lead singer Paul Westerburg on the college radio staple.

Last Thursday's sudden passing of the Memphis-born singer, guitarist and songwriter Alex Chilton of a heart attack at age 59 has been strat1gely affecting. Though I never met Chillon, his music has held an important place in my life since l first purchased Big Star's dark, unhinged pop masterpiece Third/ SisterLoverson a whim at a Seattle record store three yearS ago.

1978's Third was a challenging, yet somehow appropriate introduction to Alex Chilton's diverse body of work. What I experienced was a haunting collection of fragmented pop songs that were startlingly melancholic, sometimes bleak and yet somehow deeply affirming.

Intrigued by my latest discovery, I began to search forwards and backwards into Chilton's musical catalogue, uncovering countless gems scattered across one of the most convoluted career paths in the history of popular music. record label Stax's new distribuThe son of a jazz musician tion deal with Columbia meant turned electrician, Alex Chilton that even those who had heard of was cast into the spotlight f!arly thfl album were unable to find it at on. At 16, he was recruited by the their local record store.

Disheartened by the band's lack regionally successful blue-eyed soul outfit, Ronnie and The DeV- of success and plagued by personilles, later renamed The Box Tops, al problems, co-leader Chris Bell after they learned of his well-re- quit in late 1972.Big Star had only ceived performance at Memphis' played seven shows with its origiCentral High School talent show. nal line-up at the time of Bell's deLess than a year later, the band parture. After a short-lived hiatus, scored an international number- the remaining members decided one hit with "The Letter" in Sep- to continue on, recording what has tember 1967, marking the com- come to be considered by many to mercial high point of Chilton's be the quintessential powerpop turbulent career. album, Radio City, which was reBy 1970, he had grown tired leased to a similar fate as its preof the stifling creative control decessor in 1974. On songs like imposed by The Box Topl decid- "September Gurls" and "Back of a edly outdated management team Car," Chilton is at the height of his and struck out on his own, a dis- powers, perfectly capturing postillusioned industry veteran at the adolescent doubt and masking it age of 20. After spending a year in under shimmering guitars and New York City taking in the folk earnest melodies.

"I have a real knack for writmusic scene, Chilton returned to Memphis to join Chris Bell's new- ing a good pop song," said Chilly-formed powerpop four-piece, ton during an Interview with the Big Star, named after a supermar- Denver Westword in 1991. It was ket close to their recording studio. a tremendous understatement for Rounded out by bassist Andy anyone familiar with his brilliant Hummel and drummer Jody Ste• work. phens, Big Star recorded their The sessions for Third that took exuberant debut record, ironically place throughout 1974were notorititled #1 Record,at Ardent Studios ously chaotic for the two remainover the course of one year. Re- ing original members; Hummel leased to critical acclaim in 1972, quit just prior to the release of Rathe record went against the grain dio City to focus on his final year of the prevailing heavy metal of college. and prog-rock movements of the The years of hard luck and comday. Instead, the group focused mercial failure had exacted thf!ir toll on Chilton's writing, resulting on crafting concise, guitar-driven pop songs influenced by British in a varied and moving collection Invasion groups such as the Bea- of biting sarcasm (''Thank You Friends"), a Christmas carol ("Jetles, the Kinks, a.nd the Who. Despite rave reviews in Roll- sus Christ"), early rock & roll coving Stone and Billboardmagazine, ers ("Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' which noted that "Every cut On," "Till the End of the Day") could be a single," #1 Recordnever and a set of bleak, nihilistic dirges achieved the commercial success ("Holocaust," "Big Black Car'').

Tne band split up in 1975, units creators had, however jokingly, aspired to. It didn't even break able to find a label willing to disthe top 200. Problems with their tribute the uncompromisingly

T

dark album until 1978 amid the unlikely emergence of an underground community of Big Star admirf!rs.

"Each town had four people like us who knew the Big Star stuff,"

said REM's Peter Buck in the liner notes of Big Star's 2009 box set, Keep an Eye on the Sky. "And you'd play it at parties, or people would come to your house and tape it on cassette. It was this rite of passage almost."

Big Star's music continued to gain momentum in subsequent decades, taking root in alternative music scenes and eventually realizing its profound influence in the music of REM, the dBs, the Replacements, the Hangles, Teenage Fanclub, the Posies, Gin Blossoms, Whiskeytown, Wilco and countless other jangle-y guitar-driven acts that have followed in their footsteps.

For his part, Chilton continued to chart his own course, releasing divisive solo albums One Day in New York and Like Flies on Sherbert that further distanced himself from Big Star's early work. He produced early Cramps' records and famously retired to trim trees and wash dishes in New Orleans in 1982.

When Chilton returned to music the following year, he began to pursue an increasingly eclectic variety of projects that included the punk outfit the Panther Burns, producing records by the Replacements and solo ventures that dabbled in blues, soul, funk, gospel, country, rockabilly and jazz.

In the mid-90's, Chilton de{ied expectation and fulfilled the dreams of his seminal powerpop group's many disciples by adding tour dates with a rebooted Big Star line-up that included Jody Stflphens on drums and members of the Posies filling in for Andy Hummel and the late Chrb Bell.

The band would eventually release a new record under the Big Star moniker in 2005. Titled In Space, the album featured contributions from each of the group's current members.

Alex Chilton would continue to sporadically perform and record until his death, i;taying out of the limelight and enjoying a peaceful home life with his wife Laura and son Timothy in New Orleans.

"What's nice is that the people in my neighbourhood just know me as Alex," said Chilton in an interview with RollingStonein 2000.

"It's funny, because I spent so much of my Iifc moving from place to place and I went through a few dark periods, but in the last few years I've kind of settled down."

Chilton's scheduled performance at this month's SXSW music festival in Austin, Texas with the new Big Star line-up will go ahead with a variety of guest musicians filling in and paying tribute to his lasting legacy.

"We still plan to play but we will turn it into a musical way of honouring Alex,11 said Jody Stephens in a recent interview with EntertainmentWeekly."And that, to me, is the important thing."

Alex Chilton was a rare individual who listened to his ow.n convictions and despite ample setbacks, lived his life in the way he saw fit. He will be remembered as an extraordinarily talented, continually modest and fiercely independent individual.

As for those of us who still find joy, catharsis and comfort in Chilton's music, I think the Replacements said it best: "...never travel far/ without a little Big Star.11

...FRIDAY, MARCH 26th, 2010

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THE CASCADE

9

Never travel far ...

Without these essential albums from Alex Chilton NICKUBELS much British Invasion as it is a reCONTRIBUTORflective folk record, yet it is all imbued with a healthy dose of Memn light of recent coverage con- phis soul. Propelled by the song cerning the death of Box Tops writing duo of Chris Bell and Alex and Big Star frontman Alex Chil- Chilton (they split all song writing ton, some of you may be wonder- credit on the album as Bell-Chiling just where to get started listen- ton as a tribute to their predecesing to the music icon's catalogue. sors Lennon-McCartney), Big Star Here's a few discs you may want turns in some true classics here, to consider, listed in chronological matching raucous "In the Street" order: and "When My Baby's Beside Me" with tender acoustic ballads like "Thirteen."

Soul Deep: The Best of the Box Tops -The Box Tops(1967-1970) Radio City- Big Star (1974) This collection of 18 tracks should be enough lo satisfy any Radio City is Big Star's crownfan interested in Chilton's early ing achievement according to development with the popular many and I would find it hard to blue-eyed soul group. At age 16, argue with that assessment. The Alex Chilton fronted the band to album opens with the imposa number one hit with "The Let- sibly funky "0 My Soul" before ter," included here, unleashing a giving way to song after song o( hypnotic growl on the admittedly undeniable emotion, melody, and compelling track. chiming guitars. Drummer Jody Stephens really shines here as well with Big Star's trio setup al#1 Record - Big Star (1972) lowing Stephens' drumming to Big Star's debut album is as take a more prominent role in the

Foxtrotwould not exist had this record not come first.

I

PAUL FALARDEAU Mountain ARTS& LIFEEDITOR Creep - Radiohead On their first album, PabloHoney, Radiohead sounds nothing like today's legendary band. Even on that first grunge tinged album there were signs of the greatness to come. In "Creep" we find unconventional lyrics next to disjointed yet imaginative guitar.

Man • CrashKings

This track is maybe what the Crash Kings expect Jane's Addiction would sound like if Jack White sang lead. If that doesn't rile up your earbuds then take heed: it's the same time of summery, feel-good slumdog sludge that made "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked" so hard to get out of your head.

---------MINI

Like Flies on Sherbert - Alex Chilton(1979)

If Third/Sister Lovers wasn't strange enough for you, look no further than Chilton's second solo record. A haphazard collection of mostly covers seemingly attacked in-studio by Chilton and his cohorts, Sherbert adopts some kind of ha If-crazed, low-fi aesthetic, but it works. And it's fun. Standout tracks include "Hey! Little Child" and "My Rival."

Keep an Eye on the Sky - BigStar (2009)

Big Star's final recorded output of the 70's takes the conventions of their first two records and stands

A must-have for any Big Star them upside down. Melancholic enthusiast, the four-disc collection and surprisingly beautiful, Thirdis spans 1968 to 1975 and includes challenging, but an ultimately re- demos, outtakes, alternate verwarding set. Songs like ''0, Dana," sions, and a rare live concert from "Nighttime" and "Big Black Car" Big Star's abbreviated career. Fans are haunting examples of what will also enjoy the extensive liner notes and photographs in this excan be achieved in deconstructing a pop song. Wilco's YankeeHotel cellent set.

The Guru• RoseHill Drive

Won't Be Long - TheHives

America • Simon and Garfunkel

From the same retro stone rock revival that brought us Wolfmother comes Rose Hill Drive, a band consisting of three young men who closely resemble the last known images of Duane Allman.

This evidence all adds up to one trippy conclusion: Bluesy, psychedelic rock. Dig!

What can be say that hasn't been said about Sweden's finest .rock band that hasn't already been said by its vain, self-aggrandizing lead singer Howlin' Pelle Almqvist. "Won't Be Long" is from the Hives most recent album. It's hellfire embodied from start to finish. Hold on!

An ode to the open road that would even satisfy Sal Paradise.

The freedom and beauty of Simon's lyrics are no laughing matter. The narration takes place over a series of wonderfully painted vignettes of life on the road. An undeniable classic.

arrangements.

Third/Sistei: Loveis - Big Star (1978)

iLBUM

REVIEWS--------

Good God! Born Again Funk

A Reality Tour

Beat the Devil's Tattoo

In the Dark

High Placesvs. Mankiwnd

VariousArtists

David Bowie

BlackRebelMotorcycleClub

The Whigs

HighPlaces

(Rollingstone.com) It's been seven years since the Thin White Duke's most recent studio LP his longest hiatus to date - and he hasn't stepped onto a stage since 2006. This document of his last major tour is a reminder of what we're missing. ln this 2003 Dublin concert, he runs wild through his songbook with his toughest live band ever, from undeniable crowd-killers ("Rebel Rebel") to cult £aves ("Fantastic Voyage").

"The Loneliest Guy," an under• rated ballad from Reality, takes on a whole new resonance alongside classics like "Heroes" and "Life on Mars?" Nobody really knows if Bowie is hanging up the spacesuit for good, since the man has been periodically announcing his retirement since 1973. 6ut if so, this is one hell of an exit.

Five studio albums in, California psych-garage trio Black Rebel Motorcycle Club are still rellgious zealots - worshippers in rock's Gothic cathedral. The song titles tell the talc: "Bad Blood," "War Machine," "River Styx." There was a time, circa 2001, when Black Rebel Motorcycle Club were supposed to inherit the Earth, or at least the mantle of Rock's Great Hope, but now they're free to be what they are: a genre band par excellence.

On Beat the Devil'sTattoothey keep the tempos moderate and the volume loud, pouriRg on layers of distorted guitars. The infectious title track detours to the Mississippi Delta, with slide guitar ring• ing out over new drummer Leah Shapiro's Zeppelin-esque stomp.

It looks like the Whigs, hailing from Athens, Georgia, may have finally taken arena ready, booze swilling mayhem and married it with just the right amount of indie cred to create the perfect storm of college rock. Think the Replacements, the Pixies or My Morning Jacket opening for AC/DC. The band's third disc was handled by Animal Collective producer Ben H. Allen, who added a sophisticated air to the heartbroken brawlroui;ers with wall of sound guitar.

"I Am for Real" blends wildly reverbi ng guitar to disco thumps.

"Someone's Daughter" is a riffmonster of Godzillian proportions. Eat your heart out "Louie Louie."

This Los Angeles-via-Brooklyn duo, known for wide-eyed naturalism and home-crafted, samplebased songwriting, explore an edgier mood on their second album. Rob Barber intensifies the band's trademark polyrhythms with snappy post-punk bass and eerie dub echoes on disco-leaning tracks like "On Giving Up," while singer Mary Pearson eschews lyrics about happy trees for stories of loneliness and alienation. "I am a plant beaten down by the weather / I've been too long in hibernation," she laments on "Constant Winter."

The second volume of Numero Group's Good God! series takes a look at the funky side of religion.

There's been a lot of hokey music made in the name of the Lord but heavens this ain't it. Check out the bible•rattlin' soul shakin' funk of Lucy "Sister Soul" Rodgers tasty clavinet jam, and Ada Richards praising holy intoxication on the set's hardest cut, "l'm Drunk &: Real High (In the Spirit of God)."

The bass doesn't quit and each cut is a new affirming of a higher power. In Funk's name we pray.

10

FRIDAY,MARCH26th, 2010

THE CASCADE

AlbumReview TheDrive-b Truckers -TheBi To-do explain the band's roots to outsidPAUL FALARDEAU

ers and an album that should be ARTS& LIFEEDITOR owned by anyone claiming to be a outhern Rock is one of those fan of music. things in life that, for most, That was nine years and six alseems to remain an enigma our bums ago. It is pertinent to dreg entire lives. It simultaneously up Southern Rock Opc'ra because scams unsurpassable in its low at it's end it seems like guitarist/ brow attitude and unattainable vocalist Patterson Hood, son of with its free livin', down-to-earth bassist David Hood (of the legideals. For some, it is a trend that endary southern rock band, the already passed along with the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section), b likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd and the finally at peace with his heritage.

Allman Brothers; for others it is a Now on this new release, The Big life-long Obtiession - a dragon to To-Do,Hood and the gang are a cha1,ethat, aftla!rthat first tai;te, can picture of corn fort. never be fully satisfied.

The album is the most rock-cenMaybe the only people who tered that DBThave ralcasad since can really get a grip on it are true 2001 but that doesn't mean that Southerners. The Drive-By Truck- the patented "triple-axe attack" is ers sure made a fine attempt on overpowering. The three guitartheir album Southern Rock Opera,a ists add depth rather than acting feat of story telling that weaves an as an overbearing wall of noise. autobiographical tale with the sto- The sound coming from the now ry of southern rock gods Lynyrd tight-knit group is very formidable Skynyrd and ends up telling the yet relaxed, in a word, content. story of the south's morale revoluThat also may be the source of tions through it. It is an attempt to the lone complaint with the Big To-

S

Do. The band doesn't seem like it is stretching or trying to turn over new ground. This is their ninth album since thc'ir formation in the late nineties, an already prolific turn-out by the relatively young band. lt may be a concern that the band is running out of steam.

Still, the story-telling runs as strong on this outing as any. Try "The Flying Wallendas," a tale of a family of acrobats on for size and you quickly see that DBThave lost none of their story telling prowess.

It seems that rather than growing stale the band has merely found its niche and is playing to it.

Most of To-Dosounds ready to hit the road, a place that DBTseem to be ultimately made for. Songs like "Drag the lake Charlie" are filled with backwater charm and "Daddy Learned to Fly," which opens the album is a sure fire hit.

"This Fucking Job" boils over with a nasty riff. The soulful "You Got Another" is a little bit of alright.

The Drive-By Truckers are a

band that deserves to be heard.

Don't let their accent scare you, it's not a gimmick; this is just a band playing music from the soul, something .that will enlighten those

who see southern rock as a trend or an elusive medium. They prove that sometimes there is more to a song than just the ~ound of your voice.

kicking back.

As well, Albarn's vocals ncvar break through the fai;ade of the cartoon band. It seems as though he finds it difficult to emote hon-

estly when operating under the Corillaz moniker, and this leads to the songs being enjoyable but ultimately leaves the listener disaffected and distant.

AlbumReview Gorillaz - Plastic Beach PAUL BRAMMER So we come to third album Plas- arc society and war.

NEWS& OPINIONEDITOR tic Beach.If nothing ebe, the album is a glittering firmament of some s Britpop band Blur were dis- of the brightest stars in music integrating, Daimon Albarn - Lou Reed, Mark E. Smith of the already had eyes on his future. The Fall, Bobby Womack, Snoop Dogg, forming of "virtual band" Gorillaz Mick Jones and Paul Simenon of in 1998 came as quite a surprise the Clash, Mos Def and Gruff Rhys - Albarn teamed up with comic- of the Super Furry Animals all ap• book artist Jamie Hewlett to create pear. Of course, Albarn anchors the four characters of the band. the majority of the songs with his The band operates on a revolv- distinctive voice. ing-door policy of drop-ins and Where Plastic Beach splits from guest spots. Their fame was all but the two previous Gorillaz releases assured with meteoric firot !Jingle is its concept. Albarn has a pretty "Clint Eastwood." Other singles of thorough history ofusing his posinote were "DA RE" (featuring the tion as a famouo musician to chamHappy Monday's Shaun Ryder) pion certain causes in society, the and "Feel Good Inc." (featuring most prominent of which being De La Soul). when he teamed up with Robert However, despite this, their Del Naja of Massive Attack to ortwo full-length releaseti never felt ganize protests in Britain against like real albums, but a mish-mash the Iraq War. of singles and other tracks rather On this album, it is a vague than a coherent whole. Still, the environmental angle that Albam albums got shifted and the tracks pursues. Several of the songs shot up the charts, so it seems that make veiled and/or overt referAlbarn and Hewlett's gamble has ences to fast-food and industrial paid off quite literally. waste. Other subjects touched on

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The problem is that Gorillaz seem weighed down under the lofty quasi-concept. The fact that there are so many guest stars also hampers proceedings - each singer a1,d player brings,thelt'own particular flavour to the songs, which fragments the attempt at a flowing concept throughout the LP. It appears as though Albarn is unsure whether to fully pursue the concept of the album or let his guest stars off their leasheti and let the pieces fall as they may. .For example, on the track "White Flag," UK grime stars Bashy and Kano lend vocals. Kano said in an interview that he felt that he was out of his comfort zone on the track. However, Bobby Womack, who is on the song "Stylo," was apparently given free rein by Albarn to do whatever he wanted on the track. This shows that limbo that the album inhabits - neither worthy record nor celebrity knock-around. It reaches for the stars while high-fiving and

Album Preview TheNational - Hi hViolet the way NICKUBELS

I did with "Mr. November,"

CONTRIBUTORbut I do think it's cathartic," said BerBrooklyn-based alt-rockers the National paid a visit to the set of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon last Wednesday, debuting "Terrible Love," the lead track off their highly anticipated fifth album, High Violet.

"Terrible Love" is a grandiose affair that most rei,;embleti th\J band\; work circa 2005's Alligator; with its wall-of-guitar approach and incessant, anthcmic build. Lead singer Mall Bcrninger's distinctivl.l baritone is pushed to the top of its range as he half shouts, "It takes an ocean not to break," over the song's raucous coda.

In an interview with Pitchfork.com published January 29, Berninger indicated that J-/igltViolet distances itself from Boxer'smore understated tone.

"1 don't quite scream my head off in

ninger. "Boxer was all tension without a whole lot of release. This builds a lot of those same kinds of tensions, but I think there's at least a little bit of bloodletting in this one. I'm trying to sing out and higher a little more, and the melodies move around a little more."

The follow-up to thf;!band's critically acclaimed 2007 record, Boxer, is set to be released on May 11 via 4AD and features 11 tracks recorded at Tarquin Studios in Bridgeport, Conn'-!cticut with long-time collaborator Peter Katis co-producing.

The National will spend May and June touring North America in support of Higl·1Violet. Their 15-conccrt schedule is Sc.?t to include stop:, at Bonnaroo, Massey Hall and Sasquatch.

FRIDAY, MARCH 26th, 2010

11

THE CASCADE

BookReview most ALEX WATKINS

part by Yunior, who at first

CONTRIBUTOR glance seems to be Oscar's polar

s one would expect from a title like The BriefWondrousLife of OscarWao,the centra1 character of Ji.mot Dfaz's moi;t recent offering is Oscar. He is an obese Dominican-American "ghetto nerd" with a penchant for role-playing games, science fiction, and five dollar words. Unfortunately, Oscar is also an incurable romantic who harbors deep and unrequited passion for a succession of women, some of whom he barely knows.

As a male of Dominican heritage, Oscar is expected by his family to be innately successful with women. Despite his best efforts, however, Oscar continually fails to live up to the stereotype and openly expresses his fear of being the first Dominican to ever die a virgin. Oscar is the type of character readers will likely grow to love in spite of - or perhaps because of- his social ineptitude; his continual romantic failings and expressions of intense ardor and sorrow are endearing rather than pathetic.

The story is narrated for the

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opposite. Yunior is athletic, profane, and extremely popular with women. Like Oscar, he is unable to experience love, but this is appar• ently because he does not value it rather than because he is incapable of finding it. Although Yunior depicts himself as a masculine and promiscuous anti-nerd, his narration is filled with references to nerd culture. His storytelling seamlessly intersperses English with Spanish, and juxtaposes ghetto slang with references to highbrow art and literature, building accurate and sensitive depictions of characters that link cultun:s and defy stereotypes.

Far less of the book is devoted to chronicling the life of the title character than one would expect; a great deal of narrative attention is paid to Oscar's immediate family and ancestors, particularly women. The suffering that Oscar endures in the pursuit of love is echoed in accounts of his mother Beli's history. In her youth spent in the Dominican Republic, Beli has the misfortune of falling in love with a local gangster, whom she

eventually learns is married to the sister of the Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo.

When her lover's wife learns about the affair, Beli is forced to flee to New York in order to escape certain death, and discovers too late how little she means to the gang:,ter. Oscar's great-greatgrandfather also suffers for love, hiding his beautiful daughters from the voracious Trujillo at his own peril in order to shield them from rape. The suffering and misfortune that tics the family together is attributed to a fuku, or curse, that has haunted them for generations.

Although it b made explicit that Oscar is inevitably doomed (both through the title and through direct references to his death in the text), Dfaz is still able to maintain a considerable level of suspense and interest. The focus isn't placed on the violent end of Oscar's life but rather on the story of his life as a whole, as well as on the simultaneously colourful and disturbing history of the family that precedes him.

Additionally, Dfaz links the experiences of the characters to

w A Novel

Osca.

Junot Diaz genuine Dominican history, detailcd for the most part in lengthy footnotes that are just as fascinating as the story itself. Readers will undoubtedly find the book enter-

taining and sometimes even lighthearted amidst all of the suffering, and Dfaz's sensltlve depiction of Oscar himself will soften even the hardest of hearts.

BookReview Slave byMende Nozer SONJA SZLOVICSAK was carried away by raiders, and FDITOR-IN-(HIEr sold to a wealthy Sudanese fant• ily living in Khartoum. When she n western society, most of us as- was just a child, Nazer became a sume that slavery is almost non- domestic slflve. existent. The United States had a From here on, Nazcr describes civil war, and that ended slavery trying to survive as a slave. An in the west. Everyone knows that older slave tells her to do whatever slavery is just wrong, so it just nev- she's told, or she'll be beaten. EvQn er happens. though she does whatever she':; Or so we think. told, Naz.er still gets beaten (and Mende Nazer was a slave. In nearly killed). her book Slave, she recounts beThe story is broken up by flashing captured, sold into slavery in backs of Nazer's earlier childhood.

Sudan, living in London as a slave, Nazer has very clear memories of and eventually escaping her mas- growing up in the Nuba mounters. Most readers will be shocked tains. She ls able to recount, with that Na2er was not only a slave in great detail, her family, friends 2002, but that she was also a slave and life back home. At the end of in modern London. the memoir, it's revealed that she Nazer grew up in the Nuba grew up in an oral culture, meanmountains in southern Sudan. ing nothing was written down.

For the most part, she had a rather As a result, she has an incredible quiet and peaceful childhood. Her memory. family knew that raiders were atHer memories manage to bring tacking neighbouring villages, but her through her deep bouts of deher family had remained unmo- pression. When she becomes ill, lested for years due to the relative she remembers her mother carseclusion of their village. ing for her as a child. When she When she was barely 13 years is beaten, she remembers that her old, her village was attacked. She parents never beat her. Her mem-

I

orics arc the only escape she has from the constant drudgery of her

n1-:8e

life.

The saddest part of story is that Nazer is a child slave. She describes trying to play with toys when her master wasn't looking, and the beating that she received because of her "lazines:;." She goes through puberty, and doesn't know what's happening when she begins to menstruate. Naz.er completely lm;es her childhood to slavery. She works every day, from dawn until dusk. She never has a holiday, and she isn't al'lowed to take "breaks.''

Her faith in Allah is what helps her make it through her long days of work. Most days, she manages to sneak away from het work so she can pray five times a day. Nazer grew up as a Muslim, but her master tells her that Islam "isn't for black people." Her prayer and her faith become a way for her to rebel against a racist society m,d her master.

By the time she travels to London, she has accepted her life as a slave. She is owned by a Suda-

accepts her abuse, and doesn't kick up a fuss when she is beaten.

Obviously, Nazer escapes. However, her i;truggle doesn't end there. She never feels truly free, and struggle:; to overcome the habits she's learned from being a slave. It isn't safe for her to return to the Nuba mountains to try to find her family, because she was owned by an important Sudanese family.

Nazcr isn't the first slave to be sold to a family living in western society.

H.owever, she ts one of the few that did manage to escape.

Mende Nazer's memoir, Slave, problem that most westerners are will hopefully bring attention to a completely unaware of.

Eddie and Sal, played by Ethan Hawke. The ever reliable, ever put• upon Lili Taylor plays Hawke's wife, and what little screen time she has is put to good use, help• ing to flesh out Sal's drive to steal money from the drug dens that he busts as we learn that the cashstrapped cop has about a half-dozen mouths to feed at home.

The screen time between Hawke and Taylor works very nicely, but this aspect of the script ultimately feels forced. Not only is Hawke a family man but his wife is pregnant. With twins. And she's got re• ally bad asthma. And their house

is infested with mould, putting his wife and the babies in danger. The whole situation just seems too conveniently terrible, with Sal's wife having a health scare at just the right time. But generally Hawke's character reminds the viewer of his turn in Fuqua's Training Day from nine years ago.

There he played Jake-- a young, relatively idealistic up and comer opposite an Oscar-winning Den• zcl Washington's corrupt veteran.

It's not that tough to think of Sal as Jake a decade later, a little bit wiser, a little bit more worn down by the system.

diplomat's

family. Quietly, she

MovieReview Brooklyn's Finest JUSTIN ORLEWICZGere's Eddie is one of the other STAFF WRITER members of this corrupt team of blue - a veteran on the force who's bout all Brooklyn'sFinest has just a week away from retirement. going for it Is vicious brutali- Prone to guzzling whiskey in the ty. In the opening scene of director morning and putting an unloaded AntoineFuqua'snewcopsaga, Vln• gun in his mouth then pulling the cent D'Onofrio lays out the theme trigger, Eddie is clearly a mess. of the film in a cameo as a sleazy Mocked by his fellow officers, drug dealer: there is no right and he's just biding his time until he wrong - just righter and wronger. can get out; he's less interested in In other words, people can do the stopping crime on his beat than right things for the wrong reasons, simply ignoring it. When he's or they can do the wrong things paired with an idealistic young for the right reasons. cop, the kid can't understand EdThen he serves as the first ex- die's hate for the world. ample of this very notion. Richard The story alternates between

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Brooklyn'sFinest doesn't go in for action movie fads, but there's more than enough gunplay for those looking for that kind of thing. Ultimately, the film is more inclined to look to the cop dramas of the '70s for its inspiration. If your are looking for another Training Day, then keep looking - this is not your film.

If anything, this film discredits Fuqua's credibility as a cop drama expert and has set him back a few films. The film isn't horrible, but it's not good. Wait to rent this one - and don't expect this film to be getting Oscar nominations.

12

FRIDAY,MARCH 26th, 2010

THE CASCADE

The Ides of Slam (Poetry That Is) just over a year after the school's PAUL FALARDEAU first slam. Konyvcs said that "in

ARrs& urE EDITOR n Monday March 15, a date known to the ancitmt Romans as a celebratory day in honour of Mars, god of war, a day that was immortalized by the line "Beware the ides of March," in Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar, UFV poets took the stage. In 2010,UFV made the Ides of March a time for poetry and performance with the event, "The Ides of Slam (Poetry That Is)," a slam poetry contest held at Casey's on Campus.

Some may wonder, "Just what is slam poetry?" Slampapi.com says "Simply put, poetry slam is the competitive art of performed (not performance) poetry. Established in the mid-80s as a means to heighten public interest in poetry readings, slam has evolved into an international art form emphasizing audience involvement and poetic excellence."

UFV's slam, which saw local poets bring their best work to the stage, was arranged by UFV professor Tom Konyves and comes

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December, 2008, I organized the first poetry slam at UFV."f-Ie continued; "Casey's is the best venue for poetry slams; it was my first and only choice for the event. Soon after, Chllllwack's Theatre lobby held its first slam, a Valentine's Day slam, which was repeated to great success - this year. Slams have a way of becoming more popu Iar I.lach and every time they're held."

Konyvcs, a professor in visual arts and English, says that he "would like to see more 'live' poetry at UFV, slams or not." Konyves explained that poetry is an important part of any community's culture. "Poetic activity is a special barometer of a community's spiritval state and - published or performed - poetry at UFV deserves ongoing support, from faculty and students."

It was slightly disheartening to sec a lower than expected turnout at this slam, which saw only seven performers instead of the usual twelve. Konyvcs explained,

"The low turnout for lhc Ides of Slam could have been due to conflicting events in Vancouver.

At our first slam, we had quite a few 'slammers' from lhc city." He enthusiastically agreed that more events would create more interest, and the events' popularity would eventually snowball.

Nonetheless, the Ides of Slam featured some great poetry from some of UFV's brightest. The top three winners included Andreas Stano in third place and Ray de Kroon, a contributor to the Cascade,came in second. First prize was awarded to Craig Bauslaugh.

Konyvcs wasn't discouraged, by the turnout. Not only was he impressed with the skill of the poets, he thinks that interest in poetry is evident in the Fraser Valley. "In September of last year, I organized a reading for two of my poet-friends from Montreal who were on a western tour. It was a lunchtime reading, so we held it at the Bookstore here on campus.

More than 75 people came - a toLallyunexpected turnout."

Ides of Slam may still be in a

fledgling state but it has many convlncl.ldpoetry is alive and well.

Tom Konyves cited the UFV's literary magazine, The Louden Single-

tree, as an example, and encouraged poetry fans everywhere to be active in making poetry happen in their communities.

•1•;-l-;-;-1-;-l-;-;-!-;-l-;-;-:-;-l-;-!-;-;-l-;-t-;-;-l-;-t-;-;-l-;-l-;-;-;-;-l-;-I-I-;-,-;-;-;-

Abandon Hope Al1 Ye Whc) Mulch He1·e PAUL BRAMMER

J.

I'

same breath as the universally accepted greats. Our only hope is that his towering talent will not be lost in the annals of movie history, and that we will remember to pay him homage when compiling those neverending "Best Of" lists.

NCWS& OPINIONl:DITOR

s John Cazale the greatest screen actor of all time?

In a perfect world, we should be able to appreciate everyone's qualities and assets in isolation. In a perfect world, we should be able to like things separately and equally, as opposed to obsessively compiling everything into "Best Of" lists and top tf.lns,twenties, fifties and hundreds.

However, this isn't a perfect world, and so we all (including myself) constantly considf.)r how to order the artists and works of art that we love. In considering the greatest screen actor (male screen performer) of all time, there are many options that would go over well in the mainstream - Marlon Brando, Laurence Olivier, Jimmy Stewart, Robert De Niro, Bill Murray - the list goes on and on.

However, every argument has its counter-argument - De Niro did Rocky and Bullwinkle; Brando did The Islandof Dr. Moreau.Everyone has off days; everyone needs to pay the bills from time to time. ln addition, we all have different opinions, different genres of movie and different types of performances that we value. Someone might Jove the jittery over-the-top Nicolas Cageness of Nicolas Cage.

Others might think the heavy, worthy acting of a Day-Lewis or a Penn their personal favourite.

Others still adore the comedic genius of Bill Murray, Jeff Bridges and Peter Sellers.

What about John Cazale? His name might not roll off the tongue as some of the more illustrious Alisters, but Cazale has something on Poitier, Penn and Pacino - every movie he starred in was nomi-

l

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Culture at UFV is our responsibil-

ity

nated for the Best Picture Academy Award.

Cazale was in five movies in six years before his untimely death from cancer at the age of 42. The movies were - The Godfather,The Convcrsat/011, GodfatherPart 11,Dog Day Afternoon,and The DeerHunter.Three of those won the Best Picture Academy Award (Godfather1 & II and The Deer Hunter).

Bear in mind that these roles were not walk-on, walk-off; all were substantial, meaty parts in films that serve as benchmarks of brilliance in the seventies, which some regard as the golden era of American cinema.

Cazale's face is one that everyone remembers - the soulful eyes, thin black hair, sunken cheeks - and his performances in movies

stay with us long after the credits roll. The sad, frustrating, pathetic character of Fredo Corleone in the Godfathermovies is a masterclass in a masterpiece, and is arguably the greatest piece of acting in both of those films, along with Pacino's Michael.

Another role worthy of note is his character in The Deer liunter, Stanley. Cazale knew he was dying as the movie was being made, as did his fianc~ and co-star, Meryl Streep, but he still made the film.

This truly tragic factor imbues the film with a stark, uncompromising, visceral brilliance.

Who knows what further works of art Caza le would have produced had his life not been cut short?

There seems little doubt that we would be talking about him in the

A continuing gripe that I hear from students around the university is that there is not enough campus culture, and that is why some view UI~Vas a commuter school.

To this I say; let he who is contributing to culture cast the first stone (granted, it won't catch on as a common saying, but you get my drift).

It's the same thing for people who bemoan the state of politics and politicians, and then neglect to vote. lf you're not involved in something on campus, you have no real right to complain.

There are innumerable opportunities for students to get involved on campus. Our faculty are some of the most approachable academics I have ever come across; some professors at big schools won't even condescend to

talk to students. Our instructors are constantly available and open to debate and ideas.

Then therl.)'S the student-run clubs and associations. About four dozen of them arc operating at any one given time. Everything from chess to animc to Chuck Norris (probably) is represented. The associations represent the different faculties that exist, and you'll be sure to find like-mindl.ld people with similar interests in those.

And guess what? If you look at the list of clubs on the UFY website and find that your interest is not there, you can go to the Student Union with a request that's barely legible and you can be given free money to fund your passion. All you need to do is ask, and soon enough you can be the Supreme Leader and Ayatollah of the Lithuanian Clown Appreciation Club.

Student Life down at U-House is always there to provide some fun and frolics on any day or evening. But if you don't feel like getting involved in some kind of organization (if you're not part of the corporatf.) system, maaaaan) you can always speak to that cute girl or hot guy you sit next to in class. You can always smile at the staff member serving you coffee.

You can start throwing a Frisbee around with a stranger. You can create culture on campus through the smallest, seemingly insignificant act or gesture.

Culture on campus is not something the UFV administration can transplant from somewhere else or conjure up out of nowhere, and, frankly, it's not their responsibility and nor should it be. It's our university; we as students arc the ones responsible for making our UFV a cool place to be.

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THE CASCADE

FRIDAY, MARCH 26th, 2010

cascadeArcade Chose Your Dreams: Robot Unicorn Attack prancing freely amongst the JOEL SMARTcorn, lush purple grasses and rainbow-

STAFF WRIT[R rainbow mane flows in the wind as a metallic robot unicorn leaps from airborne platform to airborne platform in the cloudy, rainbow-laden sky. An obscure, passionate love-ballad originally from 1994 plays at max volume, "Always, I want to be with you, and make believe with you." What kind of game is this?

Released in February on the Adult Swim website, Robot Unicorn Attack has become the mosl popular game on the site, with well over 10 million plays. "Jump into the steel hooves of a robot uni•

A

strewn backdrops of your wildest fantasies," the description reads.

The free Flash game takes the form of a side-scrolling platformcr, ala Mario, but players do not control the speed of the unicorn.

The game has only two controls, X and Z on the keyboard. One button jumps, while the other dashes.

Despite its simplicity, it does allow a fair amount of control, as players can control how for they jump by how long they hold the button down, not to mention that playen; can also double-jump in midair. Players can also jump after a dash. This leads to some incredible

scenarios as the game progresses, where players must double jump, then dash, and then jump again, all without touching the ground, in order to survive.

Appreciation for the game depends on one's acceptance of its tongue-in-cheek humour. Some men who are a bit insecure in their sexuality may refuse to be associated with the game, because it is "the gayest game of all time." The game may feature unicorns, rainbows and even magical flying dolphins, but it will also give your 10year-old sister nightmares to see the crying decapitated head of a robot unicorn after each death.

The scoring is quite simple.

You gain for simply :;taying alive, for collecting butterfly fairies and for dashing through glass stars.

For fairies, the default value is 10 points, but if you don't miss one in between, the next one will be worth 20, then 30, 40, 50, and so on. The same rule applies for stars, but the value is higher.

The first star will give you 100, the second 200, and so forth. As the game goes on, the speed of the unicorn slowly increases, so it becomes near impossible to not miss fairies or stars, forcing you to start back at the default score. Each pinythrough consists of three 'wishes', or lives, and at the end the combined score is eligible for the high

score list. It takes three great runs in a row to get a top score.

Somehow, the highlight of the game is the cheesy song that plays with it. A short 2009 remix of "Always" by Erasure plays over and over during the course of the game. Somehow it all just fits.

"Hold on to the night, there will be no shame," it begins.

It could use checkpoints, and the randomly generating platforms keep it interesting but inconsistent, however the game is tight enough that it can be addicting. Type Robot Unicorn Attack into Google if you want to "live in harmony, harmony ... oh Jove.''

ChannelSurtinu JORDAN PITCHER

STAFF WRITER and they are initially excited, then they re• ast week, I discussed televi- alizc they're living on sion programs that should an island and it sucks, have made it past their first sea• and then they get son. I won't lie; that article stirred mad al each other and up a lot of controversy between consistently stab one myself and the one person that another in the back to actually reads Channel Surfing. reinforce the idea that Since it is my goal, nay, my duty to one must get rich by placate the masses, I would like to any means necessary. make an addendum to last week's I just summarized evarticle: Frenks and Geeks should ery season of Survivor not have been cancelled after one for you. season. My sincerest apologies to all those affected by my tragic Two anda HalfMen: misstep. This week, I will be discussing television programs that Not only should should have been cancelled after this terrible show one or two seasons, but continue have been cancelled, to plague broadcast television, like but everyone associindelible herpes sores. ated with it should have been dragged behind the proverSurvivor: bial chemical shed l will admit that I was about and put down in the as die-hard a fan as Survivor has least humane way ever seen (or warranted), whether possible: by being forced to watch it was smooching with my Jeff episodes of 'Twoand a HalfMen u nProbst poster before bed, or hunt- til their brains simply turned to ing neighborhood dogs for suste- gray pudding. Honestly, the fact nance, I was,thoroughly possessed that this program has one of the by the idea of Survivor. However, highest ratings of any program on the show, now in its bi II ionth sea- broadcast television is an affront son, is getting a little tired. The to Cod himself. He's probably up premise is always the same, so there, facepalming at what he hath there is no room for excitement. wrought.

Observe: People get on the island

enthusiast in me, and for one year, I lived in an idyllic realm of pure bliss. I was excited by the prospect of a second season, until it became quite clear that the writers were out of ideas and just decided to have all the characters fuck one another, with really bizarre twists thrown in for shits and giggles, such as Chuck's creepy uncle, Rufus' and Lily's adopted child, and Dan turning out to be a Poki!mon in the season finale.

L

TheOffice:

Heroes: Never has a program gone downhill with such dramatic speed, than Heroes. Season one represented everything a comic book fan could want in a television program: action, intriguing storylines, attractive females, and light-hearted comedic moments to keep it grounded. Season two took everything laudable about

the program and flipped it on its head. The storylines became labyrinthine in complexity, the actors actually got worse, and the action scenes were interleaved by countless scenes of nonsensical bullshit.

Gossip Girl: Season one of Gossip Girl catered to the closeted soap opera

I know I may be consumed by fire for detracting from one of television's most pure programs, but the reality is that The Of fice stopped being genuinely hilarious after the end of season two. l believe this i:; a product of NBC's failure as a network, because if a network is doing poorly enough that The Of fice is considered one of its "heavy hitters" it will continue to renew the program even though it has, by and large, been spinning its wheels since the third season began a few years ago.

Keeping a Straight Face with Norm MacDonald ALANPIFFER more popular

than it was," says "There was talk about a Dirty Work 2, actually. I had an esides his late-night talk show idea about them going back in appearances, people will no time, and then Saget had an idea doubt recognize funnyman Norm about getting Artie a new heart.

MacDonald from his Saturday Sagct's was probably a funnier Night Live gig in the '90s. idea."

Or, if they're really into MacSpeaking of Saget, MacDonald Donald's style of comedy, they'll had a notable appearance on Comremember the short-lived Norm edy Central's Bob Saget Roast; if Show,or even the cult classic mm people found MacDonald's routine Dirty Work, with Howard Stern unfunny, it was surely because sidekick Artie Lange. of how purposefully unfunny it Dirty Work was a classic SNL was. star vehicle with an advantage MacDonald says that being unover similar flicks due to surprisfunny is harder than it looks. "It ingly edgy director Bob Saget (best is a little bit tricky because your known forhis wholesome dad role natural instincts tell you to either in Full House).The movie's come- break up, or to cut it off when it dic chemistry was pure gold, as goes on and on," he explains. "But fans of the Quebec-born MacDon- I had to fight against that tendenald constantly remind him. cy, because I didn't want to really "A lot of people come up after break character on it." (stand-up shows) with DVDs of it, For MacDonald, keeping a so l have noticed that it's become straight face pays off in other

NEXUSMacDonald.

B

ways, like in his many celebrity poker matches.

"It's good to play poker when you're a celebrity - if you're any good at poker - because they just naturally think you're an idiot because you're a celebrity, which is usually the case," says MacDonald. "So if you're in any way smarter than a celebrity, you'll do alright."

MacDonald also gets a fair amount of voiceovcr work. Something that stands out is his unforgettable portrayal of Death in an early *Family Guy* episode. While the role was taken over by comedian Adam Carolla, MacDonald still gets a lot of fan excitement over it.

"It's funny, because I only did it once and, just constantly, peo• ple come up to me about that one little thing," says MacDonald. "I just went in for Seth (MacFarlane) and read it into a mic in his office and that was it. I do cartoons and

voiceovers just so my kid has some idea of what I do in life - until he grows up and realizes l do the exact opposite."

One thing MacDonald is known for is his outrageous remarks, including a 2006 bit on the Daily Show about crocodiles, reflecting upon the then-recently deceased "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin.

"I remember that, because afterwards, everyone was shocked and everything," says MacDonald.

"I had no idea that the Crocodile Hunter was a beloved character or anything like that. I thought people just sort of made fun of that guy."

Despite his perennially relaxed demeanor, MacDonald says his act does depend on his level of personal comfort.

"With Jon Stewart or Conan, because they're my friends I'm much more reckless In my comedy with them than I would be with David

Letterman, or somebody that I'm a little afraid of,11 says MacDonald.

"I sort of forget that I'm on TV and I just talk to them like I would off the air with them, you know?"

So when MacDonald stops in Canada for his standup comedy tour, what will he talk about? ''I'll probably talk a lot about the Olympics because it was just such a big thing for me," he says.

"I ended up watching the (men's gold medal) hockey game in a big room in Chicago, and it was all American fans except for me.

It was knee-buckling at the end of the third period, and it made it sweeter in overtime.

"I went fuckin' crazy. But people were a little upset with me.

And then in my head, I was like, 'Oh, this would be cool to get in a fight. Like, get all drunk and get into a fight for Canada; that'd be fun.'"

THE CASCADE

14

STARLEIN FOX

LibraSept.23- Oct.22

THEWEAL

Time for a new look. The same old is not cutting it any more.

Update that mullet or rethink the fauxhawk. For those less adventurous, how about a new pair of True Religion jeans?

PiscesFeb.19- March 20 You keep asking yourself, "Is this world crazy? Why do people behave so carelessly and coldly?" Stop trying to make sense of the insanity and just go with it. Don't take it personally.

ScorpioOct.23- Nov.21 Call the fire truck, because you are going to be feeling the heat this week. Take time out to process everything that's happened over the last two months. It feels like a lot.

AriesMarch 21- April 20

Hold on tight. I can feel the spring fever taking over your body. I know how hard it is to stay in one place when the springtime air is calling you.

TaurusApril 20- Moy 20 You will be playing catch-up with your chequebook, or shall I say your debit card. You like to live large, but you really need to keep yourself focused on the consequences of today's actions.

GeminiMoy 21- June20 You will be hurting in terms of how far behind you feel. This is because you have been enjoying yourself and letting your responsibilities slip. Diversions are for the personality. Soul doesn't buy all the excuses you've been pulling out of your hat.

CancerJune2 - July22 This would be a good time to look at all the memories you arc clinging to. The past is always

robocOp

FRIDAY.MARCH 26th, 2010

SagittariusNov.22- Dec.21 better in our mind than the reality of what really took place.

LeoJuly23- Aug.22 You'd better pick up some throat lozenges, because you are going to feel like roaring pretty loudly this week. This is the roar of a happy lion - well fed, sexually pleased, and don't forget that 12 hours a day of sleep.

VirgoAug.23- Sept.22 You need to lighten up. While ev· eryone else is ready to play and party you are getting yourself worked into a frenzy over some long-gone issue. Everyone else has let go cons ago. It's that damn curse of perfection you carry around with you.

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i"' f."IVE FAAM[S

All your friends in far away places will be coming out of the woodwork. Watch what you say and to whom. Someone who you think is your friend is really not.

Capricorn Dec22-Jon.19 Do you feel like you are running behind? You may want to rethink yourschedulingtechniquc.

There will be many missed events this week. I do think that you are too young for dementia.

It's late; you're only part of the way through your term paper (due tomorrow morning) and you're starving, so what do you make?

Well, this week I have the recipe for you: a delicious beef & broccoli stir fry ramen.

AquariusJan.20- Feb.18 There's a lot on your mind these days. Perhaps you're over-thinking things. Why not take some time to enjoy the sunshine and warrn weather?

Directions: Cook noodles according to package ditections and drain. In a skillet, brown beef and drain. Add oil, 1/2

Ingredients:

seasoning packet, broccoli

1 package beeforspicy beefrumen noodles 2 cupswater 1pound beefsteakstrips 2teaspoons oil 2cupsbroccoli, cutup 1cupgreenonions, cutinstrips 1tablespoon soysauce 1/8teos~oon crushed redpepper (optional)

and onions. Stir-fry for five minutes. Add soy sauce and red pepper. Simmer for five minutes more.

Serve over noodles.

Directions Ingredients * 1/2cupunsalted butter

* 2 cupsunbleached white flour

* 1cupsugar

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kearureeves'career'"' FlVEFRAMES

* 1/2teaspoon salt * 1teaspoon baking soda * 2teaspoons baking powder * 2 largeeggs,beaten * 1cupsourcream * 1/4cuplemon juice * 1 lemon, juiceandzest

Preheat oven to 350°.Grease muffin tins.

Melt the butter and Jet cool.

Thoroughly mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Whisk together the eggs and sour cream in a smaller bowl.

Stir in the butter, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and zest and juice of lemon.

Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients.

Add wet ingredients and mix with as few strokes as possible.

Don't overmix.

Spoon batter into muffin tins.

Bake at 350° for 25 minutes.

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By Glen O'Neill - The Martlet

FRIDAY,MARCH 26th, 2010

15

THE CASCADE

Keeping Kesler a Canuck JOEL SMART STAFF WRITER aving recently signed a $30 million contract, Ryan Kesler has committed to being a Vancouver Canuck for the next six years. Public opinion on the news was split: the extension eased the minds of most, but some felt the price tag was too high In this sal· ary cap era.

There are positives and negatives when it comes to a long term contract with a player. It can be a problem if a player faihi to improve the way they arc expected to. Being stuck with an unproductive player can be costly, keeping a team from being able to afford the kind of talent they need to compete. However, it can go the other way, where a player continues to improve, but the team does not have to shell out huge chunks of money to keep them around each year. Either way, it is a gamble, but with Kesler entering into the prime of his career and constantly improving, it is a wager the Canucks are willing to take.

Mike Gillis, general manager of the team, explained in a press conference why he felt the decision to

H

re-sign Kesler to the Canucks was justified. "Guys chase him around all night and ·want to kill him, and he's putting up points. Guys that play wlth him arebecoming better players," Gillis said.

Kesler was nominated to win

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the Frank). Selke trophy last year, which is awarded to the forward deemed to have the best defensive play. With games remaining in the season, Keslerhas already achieved a new career high in points, assists, power-play goals and game

winning goals. His defensive stats, 'including blocked shots, also compare well against other leading candidates for the Selke this year.

Gillis and Kesler both commented that the deal was forged quickly because Kesler was so eager to remain a Canuck. According to the official Canucks website, Kesler was gl.1d to be able to put the contract talks behind him and just worry about playing hockey. "For it to be over now is relief. I'm happy, and now I can focus 100 per cent of my energy on bringing a Stanley cup to the city of Vancouver," he said.

Critics of the deal should realize that players 'of Kesler's caliber all cost at least as much as what this contract will pay him. People complained about having to pay $1.9 million to Kesler in 2006, but no one in their right mind would criticize that deal in retrospect.

Gillis has been able to sign the most important pieces of the team, including Roberto Luongo and the Sedin twins, to long term contracts. Alex Burrows explained in a video on the official Canucks website why he felt Gillis was locking up these players with major deals.

"If you look at a successful team, in any sport, they always have that core group that is leading the way for almost a decade. Look at the Patriots in football or all the Yankees championships, it is always the same guys and they always have a good core. Hopefully that is what we're trying to establish here, and hopefully get a championship,'' he 1,aid.

Burrows spoke 11bout Kesler's extension with a smile. "I am happy £orhim, it is well deserved. Obviously he is a big part of our team, and it is nice to see we'll have him for another slx years."

Inside theLocker Room friend Brent Seabrook was hurt JUSTIN ORLEWIQ on the play... I certainly wish STAFF WRITER him the best. I am, however, very disappointed in the length of the t seems like this subject has suspension. Eight games is incredbeen beaten to death with a rub- ibly hard to swallo\V'i .espe.d.J.lly ber hose, but so long as the cheap in comparison to other recent hits shots keep coming in the dirty, that have resulted in lesser punf,uit-paced NHL they will keep be- ishment." The sad thing is that he ing written about. Last week we is absolutely right; Colin Campbell saw three more cheap shots by or has either finally come to his senson high-profile players. Two of the es by delivering a suitable suspenincidents resulted in suspensions. sion when below-average player The big one, of course, is the Wisniewski committed the crime, hit from behind that Alexander or he is playing favorites with the Ovechkin delivered to Chicago superstars of the league like most Blackhawks defenseman, Brian sports analysts are speculating.

Campbell. Ovechkin put Campbell What kind of a message does head-first into the boards behind that send the other players in the the net lai;t week, which resulted league? If you are a star you can in collar bone 'and rib fractures for get away with almost anything?

Campbell. He is expected to miss Never mind the other players, six to eight weeks of game time what kind of a message docs that (the rest of the season). Ovechkln send to the young fans that are was peI1alized two games for the aspiring and dreaming of making hit, which most critics believe was the league one day? What lessons too lenient. is this cheap play teaching them?

Colin Campbell (the league's Colin Campbell needs to step up sheriff, no relation to Brian) went or step down. With these two big soft on repeat offender Ovechkin incidents on the table, a run that because of his star status and the Tampa Bay's Steve Downie (an• fear that the American viewers other NHL repeat offender) made would lose interest if he was sus- on Crosby has been overlooked by pended any longer.

Colin Campbell (shockingly).

TI1cvery next game the BlackThis one is baffling; Downie hawks lost another top four de- takes a run at Crosby's knee and fenceman at the hands of Ana- does not even receive a phone call heim Ducks defenceman, James from the league. Colin Campbell Wisniewski. Talk about bad luck needs to wake up! This will get for the Blackhawks (who are gear- out of control and it will get worse ing up to make their first serious before it gets better if something run at a Stanley Cup since 1992). isn't done. It really is simple: loose Wisniewski ran from the offen- the instigator rule! Let justice be sive blue line to the deep corner to i;crvcd on the ice,return hockey to run Blackhawk dcfcnceman Brent its glory days.

Seabrook. Seabrook hit the back of The Sudbury Wolves and the his head against the boards and Barrie Colts have been duking then stood up for about two and a it out for the past three games of half seconds before his eyes rolled their opening playoff round in old back and he hit the ice. Seabrook time fashion. So far we have seen suffered a concussion and is out great hits, a tonne of fights and a indefinitely. Wisniewski was sus- bench clearing brawl - a great dispended for eight games for the play of old ti me hockey (Gordie!). hit.

Hurry up you if you want to watch Wisniew!lki, who is a former some great hockey, as it might only Blackhawk and a current friend last one more game if the Wolves of Seabrook, released this state- lose. Either way, it is still one hell ment: "I am truly sorry that my of a finish.

Heat Reoort

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JUSTIN ORLEWIQ first period. Tn the second period playoff bracket lo the AHL follows STAFF WRITER the Heat went up 1-0 on a knuckle the old NHL divisional format puck goal from Gord Baldwin, and instead of the conference format he Heat embarked on their sec- maintained their lead all the way that the NHL has adopted in more ond to last road trip of the sea- to the dying seconds of the third recent years; which means the top son last weekend, during which period when Ryan Hamilton tied four teams in each of the divisions they played two games, in two it up while the goalie was pulled. make the playoffs and they play cities, in two nights. First up were Both teams got power plays in wJthin theit' own divisions until the Lake Erie Monsters who were overtime, but it was a short hander the conference finals. looking to get revenge on the Heat that ended this one. Ryan HamThe Heat now sit second in the as well as make the playoffs. Trail- ilton got his second goal of the North Division and have a record ing the Manitoba Moose by only game and the of 34-26•5-6. seven points, it was safe to say that winner on a If the playthe Monsters desperately needed shorthanded "Donald S. Cherry dropped offs were to two points to remain in the playoff break away the puck for the ceremonial start today race. that went opening face-off between team the Heat The Monsters came out on top in in on David captains, Garth Murray and would start the first period, snatching the first Shantz.

Ben Ondrus." with home two goals of the game and taking ice advanThe battle a 2-0 lead over the Heat going into in the North tage for the the second period. The Heat re- division for playoff positioning first round. the Hamilton Bullsponded in the second with back and the final playoff spot is start- dogs have already clinched first to back goals from Olivier Laten- ing to really heat up. With the place and home ice advantage in dresse and Radek Smolenak, but Monsters and Marlies getting the North Division. they gave up the lead again at the wins this weekend, the battle for Don't forget Friday nights are end of the period. No goals were the final playoff spot in the North cheap nighti; for all UFV students! made in the third period and the Oivi1,ion has turned into a three Just show your student TDs at the contest ended 3-2 in favour of the team race. Both teams are tied for AESC box office. For more inforLake Erie Monsters. The win has fifth in the North Division and arc mation on the Heat and the AHL put the Monsters back into the both just fivi.-:points behind the check out www.theahl.com or playoff picture as they trail the fourth place Manitoba Moose. The www.abbotsfordheat.com.

Manitoba Moose by only five points now.

BCNU's 4th Annual Practice Conference The following afternoon the Heat Sharing Our Successes squared off with the Way of Knowing, Ways of Doing Toronto Marlie:, in a nationally televised 5 & 6th May 2010 CBC event. Donald S. Hyatt Regency, Vancouver, BC Cherry dropped the Check It out on the 13C"'-U ralendar puck for the ceremoI ~.bcnu.oni/mlendar nial opening face-off between team capLearn more about opportunities like these tains, Garth Murat www.bcnu.org or contact your Fraser ray and Ben Ondrus.

Valley Regional Chair at lp/pe@bcnu.org No one scored in the

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THE CASCADE

16

FRIDAY,MARCH26th, 2010

Tomato Shortage and Salmonella TREVORFIK

STAFF WRITER ately signs have been greeting hungry patrons at local fast food restaurants reading that burger toppings will now only be available through a special request. French fry enthusiasts nationwide have been on edge, as their favourite condiment is in danger of becoming a relic of the past. The culprit? A little frost, a bad streak of cold weather, and a pesky enterobacteria commonly known as Salmonella.

The victims arc tomatoes across North America, whose crops have been reduced by 60 to 70 per cent in Florida due to the unusual cold weather that has crippled the state. The reduction in Florida is particularly troublesome, as the state currently supplies 75 per cent of the tomatoes to the rest of the United States.

The tomato shortage has lead to soaring prices of the fruit, whose average price for a 25 pound box was around US$7 this time last year. That price has shot up to US$30, and has many restaurants forgoing tomatoes in dishes for Jess expensive alternatives.

The rotten tomato news does not end there, with many farmers saying that the remaining crops .have been too extensively damaged to hope for a come back this year.

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"We thought they'd recover by early April, but now it's mid-April, if at all," ,said Reggie Brown of the Florida Tomato Grower's Exchange.

The Canadian Food Jnspection Agency is also warning consumers not to cat any Quaker Crispy Minis rice cakes in tomato and basil, as well as several tomato based

VitaminD: A PracticalGuide JORDAN PITCHfB long enough to sec the sun actuSTAFF WRITER ally turn on the earth and scorch us like the insects we arc: ecent studies have been laudSunlight - Vitamin Dis syntheing the effects of vitamin D, sised in the skin when exposed to which is by far the most difficult sunlight. Becareful not to overdo it vitamin to obtain for it is produced with the sun, though, as you may primarily by my dreaded nemesis: develop vitamin C (Cancer-skin the sun. Never mind the fact that cancer, specifically).

Fatty Fishes - Fish such as her• as soon as I step into the sun, my skin is wont to become so sparkly ring, catfish, salmon, mackerel, that it looks as though I have re- sardines, tuna, and eel will all cently emerged from a stripper's provide you with vitamin D. Howvaginal canal, my problem with ever, eating three ounces of catfoh the sun is that it is too goddamn for only 425 IU of vitamin D seems like a sacrifice many of you may hot.

1 don't want to be inconve- not be willing to make (the fish nienced by vitamin consumption. I has whiskers!).

Mushrooms - Only mushwant vitamin D to act much in the way that vitamin C docs, through rooms that have been exposed to delicious juices or semi-palat• UV light will have vitamin D in able fruits. The sad fact is that in them; so be careful in your choice order to consume vitamin D, one of mushroom, if this is how you must languish beneath the fiery want to meet your vitamin D reorb, internal organs sweating, and quirements.

Whether you want to get your skin cancer developing. Despite all of the unappealing aspects of vitamin D fix from the odious sun sun worship, scientists are saying or the gruesome catfish, one thing that vitamin D can ward off heart must be made clear: you need vidisease and, if born on Krypton, tamin D. A vitamin D deficiency can lead to impaired bone minerreplenish superpowers.

According to the researchers at alization, heart disease, ostcomathe lntermountain Medical Center lacia and has a significant hand in the onset of osteoporosis. To Heart institute, supplementing your diet with vitamin D - thus avoid making mistakes similar to increasing the vitamin D content my own, it should also be noted that one cannot meet vitamin D in the blood - could potentially decrease the risk of developing a requirements by simply taking heart related diseases by nearly 30 the delectable Flintstone's vitaper-cent. This is not the first time mins, which is a shame, since I got the heart and vitamin D have been hooked on that shit when I was linked, as people suffering from nine and haven't been able to kick heart disease often display a low- the habit since. er amount of vitamin D in their Sources: http://en.wJkipedia.org/wiki/ blood. In fact, almost three quarters of Americans (and probably Vitamin_d http://www.thespec.com/go/ Canadians) are not receiving the recommended amount of vitamin healthfitness/articlc/738668 http://www.bctterD in their diets.

Assuming you don't want to healthrcscarch.com/news/vitadie, here are some ways you can min-d-could·prevent-heart-disconsume enough vitamin D to live case-from-occurring-19675368/

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soup products, as a salmonella outbreak in an American production company may have affected the safety of some products.

Tomatoes are not the only food to fall victim to massive recalls and reductions, as many ready-to-eat products containing hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) have been recalled due to a salmonella outbreak in a Las Vegas, Nevada plant where the items were produced.

The producti(?n company, Basic Food Flavor Inc., had previously shipped dip and various flavour enhancers (hydrolyzed vegetable protein) across North America to such Canadian chains as Costco

and JCA Although a U.S. flood and Drug Administration spokesperson said that the Nevada plant provides only "a handful of North American suppliers" of the flavour enhancer, recalls by the Canadian and American government have been ordered.

The Salmonella HVP outbreak has lead to the recall of 94 food items in the United States, and nine in Canada according to the Vancouver Su11.Due to a complex chain of distribution and production, the companies may never find out how many of the potentially dangerous products were

shipped out to stores.

"Most companies do have a food traceability system, but it's not transversal, meaning that their system doesn't necessarily communicate efficiently with the systems of suppliers or customers or clients," said Sylvain Charlebois, a University of Regina business professor.

According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency website, Salmonella is a bacterium that occurs naturally in the intestinal tract of many birds, reptiles and humans. The Salmonella bacteria are spread through consumption of food contaminated by unsafe and unhygienic handling of food.

Although the symptoms of nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and fever subside in many individuals after a few days, some individuals may need to be hospitalized.

The news has not been all bad for tomato farmers in Canada, as several have reaped the benefits that the lower influx of cheap imported tomatoes frdm the southern United States has provided.

This has meant more profit for businesses in Canada, and a potentially richer summer for farmers coming off a few bad years.

"It's been a little· shaky these last few years. The imports come in pretty cheap sometimes and that always, ££ectsus, eh? If there's a shortage, it's the opposite - obviously. lt really helps us," added Niagara, Ontario greenhouse operator Pete Muileboom.

A complete list of foods affected by the salmonella outbr1a?akin Lai; Vegas, and foods recalled by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is available on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency website.