The Cascade Vol. 25 Issue 16

MAY 31 TO JUNE 13, 2017

VOLUME 25 ISSUE 16

Spicin’ it up since 1993

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SUS internal changes The Student Union has made changes to the officer positions.

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Defence Minister The Defence Minister mispoke, is it a big deal?

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The Sylvia Platters Local band soon to release second album. Here’s what they have to say.

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Class Recommendations p. 10-11

WWW.UFVCASCADE.CA

WEDNESDAY, MAY 31, 2017

Editorial //

STAFF Editor-in-Chief Joel Robertson-Taylor joel@ufvcascade.ca Managing Editor (interim) Kat Marusiak kat@ufvcascade.ca Business Manager Quintin Stamler quintin@ufvcascade.ca Production Manager Caleb Campbell caleb@ufvcascade.ca Production Assistant Satinder Dhillon satinder@ufvcascade.ca Photographer Alexandrah Pahl Alexandrah@ufvcascade.ca Distributor Griffy Vigneron distributor@ufvcascade.ca

Copy Editor Kat Marusiak kat@ufvcascade.ca

Locating the trail markers Occasionally you’ve got to pause and reassess

News Editor Joel Robertson-Taylor joel@ufvcascade.ca Jr. News Editor Jesse Boyes jesse@ufvcascade.ca Opinion Editor Panku Sharma panku@ufvcascade.ca Culture & Events Editor Jeff Mijo jeff@ufvcascade.ca Arts in Review Editor Martin Castro martin@ufvcascade.ca Ad Representative Kayla Normandeau-Cowan Kayla@ufvcascade.ca

Illustrator Amara Gelaude amara@ufvcascade.ca

Illusions Peaks, B.C.

THIS WEEK’S CONTRIBUTORS Harvin Bhathal Kimia Javanmard Chris Kleingertner

Gagan Mahil Jennifer Trithardt-Tufts

Cover: Caleb Campbell Back Cover: Caleb Campbell

WWW.UFVCASCADE.CA

@UFVCASCADE FACEBOOK.COM/UFVCASCADE INSTAGRAM.COM/THE.CASCADE Volume 25 · Issue 16 Room S2111 33844 King Road Abbotsford, BC V2S 7M8 604.854.4529

The Cascade is UFV’s autonomous student newspaper. It originated under its current name in 1993, and achieved autonomy from the university and the Student Union Society in 2002. This means that The Cascade is a forum for UFV students to have their journalism published in an entirely student-run setting. It also acts as an alternative press for the Fraser Valley. The Cascade is funded with UFV student funds, and is overseen by the Cascade Journalism Society Board, a body run by a student majority. The Cascade is published every Wednesday with a print circulation of 1,250 and is distributed at Abbotsford, Chilliwack (CEP), Clearbrook, and Mission UFV campuses and throughout the surrounding communities.

The Cascade is open to written, photo, and design work from all students; these can come in the form of a pitch to an editor, or an assignment from an editor.

Writers meetings are held every second Monday at 12:00 p.m. in The Cascade’s office on the Abbotsford campus.

In order to be published in the newspaper, all work must first be approved by The Cascade’s editor-in-chief, copy editor, and corresponding section editor. The Cascade reserves the right to edit submissions for clarity and length. The Cascade will not print any articles that contain racist, sexist, homophobic or libellous content. Letters to the editor, while held to the same standard, are unedited, and should be under 400 words. As The Cascade is an autonomous student publication, opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of UFV, The Cascade’s staff and collective, or associated members.

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JOEL ROBERTSON-TAYLOR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

It’s relieving to know what you enjoy doing. I thought about this while on a solo nature walk near Chilliwack last weekend. I was both on the trail, and in recollection of why I chose this path.

When I first enrolled in university, I was dead set on a specific field of study; then I was dead set on another specific field of study. Since then I’ve spent more time exploring options than building towards a particular goal. Now, if I had my druthers, I’d be studying some amalgamation of journalism, linguistics, anthropology, environmental studies, and geology. I don’t know of any programs that offer that. And does that really matter?

In a Macleans article, SFU registrar Kate Ross said: “My philosophy is that an undergraduate degree is an undergraduate degree. In some respects, employers don’t really care what area it’s from but it sends a message about capability.”

Ross goes on to say that she tells students to just pick something they think they might enjoy. Then, let it unfold. Learning what you don’t like is often as important as learning what you do like.

Besides, the average person changes jobs 10–15 times before they retire. And career change statistics show that even beyond job changes, the average person will change their career 5–7 times. So really, this one decision, choosing an undergraduate program, isn’t as pivotal as is often said. Part of that probably comes from people not know what they want — with so many options, how can they?

Statistics Canada’s “Youth in Transition Survey,” conducted between 2000 and 2010, followed the same respondents for 10 years, starting at age 15. The data showed that career uncertainty isn’t uncommon. More than 13 per cent were still undecided about a career at age 25, and 38.3 per cent who had already decided, chose to pursue a different career. While the study didn’t continue past age 25, other

data would suggest that they’d go on to change their career several more times before 50.

A few years ago I was on a hike in Cathedral Provincial Park. In old reports, the trailhead is marked by an old whiskey bottle, suspended by rope from a tree, about head-height. There was no bottle. We pushed forward in its general direction, expecting to find a marker. By the next valley over, we broke out the maps.

The thing about walking is, when on the trail, one doesn’t question why they’re there, or if they’re on the right path.

It’s only after losing sight of it that we start to question.

And rightly so, the path is easiest to see when on it; nobody wonders where it is while they walk it. But I don’t believe there’s anything wrong with taking some time to wander when the path isn’t clear. In fact, that might be the most appropriate thing to do under the circumstances.

On the second mountainside over, we lunched in a mountain meadow which was full of delicious wild strawberries and featured a panoramic view of most of the range. It wasn’t the plan, but we would never have found the berries without first deviating from the trail.

University education was once about bettering oneself as a citizen — growing and learning that you don’t know everything. Somewhere along the line it became job training, and I think that stresses people out. Nowadays, a student is forced to plan five or more years in advance, rather than build into who they are, where they are.

“To some extent, it’s not about what you took but what you gained from it,” said Ross. To a greater extent, it’s about enjoying the journey, not necessarily rushing to the top.

It has bothered me that I still don’t know exactly which program I want to follow through with. Then I remember that I do what I love, and all of life is an experiment.

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MAY 31, 2017

NEWS BRIEFS UBCO student union external review

Student Union //

SUS positioned for changes Officer positions replaced by commissioners and coordinators

The UBC Students’ Union Okanagan is expected to hire an accounting firm to conduct an external review of union operations.

The review comes after UBCO’s student union deficits of more than $300,000 in 2015 and 2016, which goes against the organization’s bylaws that prohibit running a deficit.

In March, a Ubyssey investigation uncovered evidence of mismanaged funds and conflicts of interest among the union’s leadership during the time of financial mismanagement.

The review is expected to take six months and cost between $30,000 and $40,000.

-the Ubyssey Honourary doctorate awarded to Kristen Brazier Kirsten Brazier will receive an honorary doctorate of technology from UFV, to be presented at UFV’s morning convocation ceremony on Tuesday, June 6, at 9:30 a.m.

Brazier is a licensed airplane and helicopter pilot. She also founded the The Sky’s No Limit — Girls Fly Too! This annual event works to inspire women to get involved in aviation, aerospace, the marine industry, and defence sector; all generally male-dominated industries.

The event has grown to over 15,000 participants, and Brazier is looking to expand its focus onto other science and technology careers.

-UFV Today UFV Cascades announces five new women’s soccer recruits A second group of Class of 2017 recruits was announced last week, with Janelle Henke, blue-chip midfielder, headlining the crew.

Henke originally committed to the Idaho Vandals, an NCAA Div. 1 team, but her desire to play closer to home led her to sign with the Cascades.

The four other players are Kailyn Halvorson from Vernon, forward Meghan Rose from Chilliwack, midfielder Tripat Sandhu from Abbotsford, and goalkeeper Alyssa Smith form Langley.

Henke, Halvorson, Rose, and Sandhu are eligible to play for the Cascades this fall, and Smith will be in 2018 after transferring from Thompson Rivers University.

-UFV Cascades

Photo: The Cascade

JOEL ROBERTSON-TAYLOR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

A change to the internal structure of the Student Union Society (SUS) was approved at the last board meeting of the previous board. The five officer positions have been replaced by six coordinator and commissioner positions, and more may come by September.

The five officer positions were: advocacy, clubs and associations, equalities, engagement, and finance. The new positions are: policy commissioner, mentorship and leadership commissioner, clubs and associations coordinator, and SUS orientation coordinator, all overseen by the vice-presidents; the gender equalities centre coordinator and Pride UFV coordinator will report to the executive director.

“There will be more positions coming, but we thought that these were the important ones and we need to get them out right away,” said SUS president, Gurvir Gill.

Gill also said that at least another three would be made prior to September. The positions that are being hired for currently were more pressing and needed to be filled going into the fall semester. The others were delayed to keep opportunities open for students enrolled in the fall.

“If we hire all the positions right now, it takes away from some of the potential candidates that we might have in September, when new students come,” Gill said.

The future positions haven’t been created yet, but Gill said that they are looking into hiring an events coordinator, as well as for some kind of ethno-cultural position.

While the positions were reworked to distribute work responsibilities, the term “officers” was changed to comply with society standards.

Under the societies act, officers are directors with specific roles. These are generally president, vice-president, secretary, or treasurer. In many organizations, executive positions

are referred to as officers, and would have signatory authority. Within the student union’s structure, officers weren’t considered executives.

“We want to make sure that everyone outside of the organization is able to understand the positions and that we’re cohesive with the other universities, as they have commissioners and coordinators,” said Gill.

Commissioner and coordinator are more commonly used terms for these kinds of positions.

“And we thought that we could do a better breakdown to create more positions, take a bit of the workload off a bunch of the positions,” he said.

The changes were also made to break down each position with a narrower focus. Previously, officers worked about 20 hours a week. Commissioners and coordinators will work five to 10 hours a week, with the exception of the clubs and associations coordinator working 10 to 15.

Gill said that this was done to remove some of the stress on students fulfilling these roles.

“This gives students leeway, they’re able to put in the work, get decent pay, work with the student schedule, and for some students who wanted to work another job, it wouldn’t prevent them from taking that opportunity, or engaging with other opportunities on campus,” Gill said.

The new structure will use the previous model to determine how many hours each position requires. With the five officer positions, each working 20 hours a week, there was a total of 100 hours of work per week. That was used as the cap set by the student union for how many new positions could be created. Commissioners and coordinators will each work fewer hours per week, but there will be more positions.

The Student Union Society is currently taking applications; Friday, June 2 will be the last day to apply.

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NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MAY 31, 2017

Classroom //

Awarded for educating educators Sandy Hill, program coordinator in teacher education wins 2017 teacher educator award JESSE BOYES JR. NEWS EDITOR

The Association of B.C. Deans of Education recently granted Sandy Hill with the 2017 Teacher Educator Award. Hill is a program coordinator at UFV who has been recognized for his contribution to teacher education programs (TEP).

Hill is responsible for placing teacher candidates in schools where they’ll complete their practicum. Him and Janet Carroll, program coordinator and instructor in teacher education, coordinate a group of sessional faculty called faculty mentors, who support the students when they’re in their practica in the schools. They communicate with the schools, particularly their principals, about finding the right placements for the teacher candidates.

Beginning in 1969, Hill spent 29 years teaching, 26 of which were in the same classroom, teaching junior high science. In 1999 he filled a position at Simon Fraser University as a faculty associate, and became a program coordinator three years later.

“Part of my duties at SFU was to help support a group of UFV professors that were trying to start a teacher ed. program. I was kind of a consultant to those people. After the program was approved, the department head at the

time asked if I’d be interested in being a coordinator at UFV. And that was 10 years ago,” he explained.

Despite his own long-term contributions to the program, Hill said that there are a lot of people who do a similar job as him and he likes to recognize that the success of these programs is due to the fact that the coordinators work well together, sharing similar strengths and problem solving strategies.

“People in my position don’t usually receive awards like that.

I guess it’s because I’ve been around a long time.”

“People in my position don’t usually receive awards like that. I guess it’s because I’ve been around a long time. I think they may have based it on the good letters of reference I had from people. I appreciate very much the letters from my own department, from Vandy Britton, our department head, and Awneet Sivia, one of our profs,” Hill said. “I think they kind of initiated it. I was resistant

when they first mentioned it but they said ‘No, no, you should get it.’ So I was surprised that I was nominated and even more surprised that I won it.”

His nominators had their own explanations of why Hill won the award.

Awneet Sivia, assistant professor, teaching and learning said, “I co-nominated Sandy for the award because he is uniquely gifted in developing teacher education programs that are, by design, reflective, inquiry-driven, and responsive to the needs of communities.”

“He was instrumental in developing the TEP at UFV and he continues to build strong partnerships with local school districts in his role as coordinator — everyone knows Sandy Hill in the world of teacher education and in K-12 in B.C.” Teacher education department head, Vandy Britton, said, “When I think of Sandy, I think of a dedicated and deeply reflective educator who makes it his mission to build strong, healthy, lasting relationships with others.

He is thoughtful, articulate, and compassionate; he puts the needs of others first; he is highly ethical in his interactions with others; and, he has a way of viewing life that challenges others’ perceptions — but not in a way that makes them feel threatened. Rather, he inspires.”

Stories worth paying attention to #Coalition

#SafetyFirst

A beginning of the end for Premier Clark

Ottawa approves more safe injection sites

Kinder Morgan pushing forward

The B.C. election came to a decisive conclusion in which the exchange of power has swung to the B.C. NDP and the B.C. Greens as their coalition takes aim at premiership. Come June, Lieutenant Governor Judith Guichon will request the presence of John Horgan, and the NDP will again, after 16 years, form the government of British Columbia.

The federal government has approved four more safe injection sites, three will be implemented in Vancouver and one in Montreal.

These recent approvals bump the overall approved sites up to a count of nine. The sites allow for users to consume illegal drugs in a safe environment with registered health care workers who may assist in the event of an overdose.

The Montreal-based site will be mobile, which is a new feature for safe injection sites in Canada.

Trans Mountain pipeline pushes forward, but experts say the company will have to navigate the shifting political climate of British Columbia, according to the CBC. Kinder Morgan has hopes of raising up to $1.75 billion through an international public offering set at $17 dollars per share. The CBC reported that University of British Columbia professor George Hoberg said the move is on the “audacious” side, being that uncertainty is high in the current political environment.

In the months of December to April, B.C.’s health minister opened 20 “overdose-prevention sites” which saw a total of 66,000 visitors, stopping an estimated 480 overdoses. To date, no deaths have occurred at a supervised site.

Kevin Hanna of UBC’s geography department takes a slightly different view on the move, stating, “They were probably waiting to ensure that they could get sufficient financing in place, and customers lined up.”

-the Globe and Mail

Between the 19 separate lawsuits from First Nations and environmentalist group, and the B.C. NDP as well as the B.C. Greens, there is a large amount of push back against the project.

But many questions about the next couple of months remain: “Will Clark ask the lieutenant governor to reconvene the legislature in early or late June? Will she or other Liberal surrogates talk anymore about the fact they received the most seats and the most votes of any party?”

According to David Moscrop, a political scientist with Simon Fraser University, Clark will likely table a generous budget and throne speech, then will be voted down by the NDP and Greens’ vote.

-CBC

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#PipeDreams

-CBC

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, MAY 31, 2017

Baseball //

Cascade baseball: season in review and a talk with the founder, Brian Finnie HARVIN BHATHAL CONTRIBUTOR

The 2016-17 season served to be a successful inaugural season for the Cascade baseball program, which passed expectations and finished second in the CCBC (Canadian College Baseball Conference) regular season and third in the CCBC championships. Though the ending to the season was not ideal, the Cascades emerged from out of nowhere and set the league on storm. The Cascade sat down with the owner of the team for a comprehensive look into the first season for the Cascade baseball team and how the team began.

For a man with his responsibilities, Brian Finnie is as a humble as they come. Finnie talks on what made him the person he is today and his strong and passionate belief in the team and his players.

What are your thoughts on the first season for the Cascade baseball team?

The first season for the Cascade baseball team was phenomenal to say the least. It was incredible. The success rate of the students’ grades at the university were excellent. We only had one player on the roster who couldn’t play and it was because of one per cent. He was our only left-handed pitcher. But I like the fact that the students are really drilled in and take their education seriously.

If you take a team like that and build it up to say 30, 40, 50 players and over 95 per cent of the students pass the schooling, what you’ve got is what we call a driver in the business industry. We put things in companies that drive people to be successful. The driver in these students is that to play baseball, you have to be a good student and pass your courses. The love of baseball, it’s enough of a driver that they work hard at baseball and they stay up late at night to study and work on weekends, and study together. The driver in them makes sure they’re studious.

We’ve got two professional ball players that are coaches here and they’re both attending the school. We’ve got Kyle Lotzkar, a first-round pick of the Cincinnati Reds in 2007; I don’t think there’s been first-round pick from Canada other than him. He’s got two gold medals and is a first-round pick.

And we’ve got Wes Darvill, who was a fifth-round pick of the Chicago Cubs in 2009. Those are two of the assistant coaches. Wes is the middle infield coach and Kyle is

the pitching coach. Both of them attended UFV with the players this year.

What I’m trying to say is that we’re winning for these kids. We got a gold medal because we got a 97 per cent pass rate at the university. Baseball is a by-product of all that. These guys are going on to be successful people because they’re getting the discipline and the drivers put in them by the baseball coaches and they’re getting the education at UFV at a high level.

What in your background helps you with the baseball team?

I’m a guy that has a grade A education. I basically grew up on the street and once I got away from the street, people helped me. These older guys helped me while I was in a Canadian helicopter squadron back in the Vietnam era.

A lot of guys helped me get away from my street mindedness and I became a student for 25 years. I took training of some kind, I became a trades teacher, a pipeline welder, and I became an aircraft engineer because some people reached out and helped me. I never forgot the commerce on the street when someone has something, everyone has something.

I’ve got baseball teams in Cuba that I look after, I’m looking at stadiums in South America with my partner.

All of those things have driven me from getting kicked out of school at 15 years old as a street kid to where I am now. I’ve never forgotten what got me where I am. My mother was a saint but it was just poor decisions on my behalf. I didn’t do well in school and when I got the drivers put in me from other guys, that’s when I realized my own potential.

For example, head coach Shawn Corness talks about education and study sessions on a regular basis. When I talk to the team, I talk about character and where I come from, where you can get to, things like that. I can’t talk to our team too often because I just start crying. There’s so much passion and so much guts and grit on that team.

Shawn had to go around the country to find players that not many people were interested in and they came together and play for each other, the school.

We had injured players up and down in this tournament but these guys just got that look in their eye and so much passion for life and doing a good job for the school.

Because of their determination, I would take any of those guys and employ them in my dozen or so companies and I would have success with those guys. They’re competitors.

Like going to events and then telling people all about what they missed out on? You may

They played way above their level and if we wouldn’t have faced the best pitcher in the league on the Southern Alberta team for the first time in that game, we would have won. There wasn’t a dry eye in that place. When we lost, everyone was crying and hurting for each other, hurting for the school. It really mattered to them. I was so proud of those guys and I still am so proud of them and so proud of their academic accomplishments. Some of them have a job, practice six days a week, and go to university, and they make ends meet.

If you look at our coaching and the character, experience, and depth of that coaching staff including Shawn, Kyle, Wes, and Junior, there isn’t another coaching staff like that in Canada. It’s a big payroll but it’s worth it for a staff like that.

How did the process work for UFV getting a baseball team?

There are two points. Shawn Corness trained my son since the age of six years old and my son Evan now plays Triple-A Bantham in Chilliwack for a team that is 18–4.

Junior is the head coach of the team. I was around Shawn while he was coaching at UBC and I saw what the potential of his coaching was.

The other thing was that I was elected to the board of Chilliwack minor baseball as a businessman to develop a training facility in the district of Chilliwack. Trying to jockey with businesses and lobby with people and organizations to try and get a facility put up in the district, I just couldn’t do it because I didn’t have the time or resources to go out and run everything. So, I gave up and built the training facility here myself. I invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into it. We’ve got a solid training facility and now my job is to find corporate partners who want to build a proper stadium with turf and all the things we should have here. After that happened, Shawn and I went to Lethbridge and had a meeting with the CCBC, and we applied to have a team of our own. And eventually, it was approved and we got permission to build the team together.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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OPINION

WEDNESDAY, MAY 31, 2017

Immigration //

Evolution through arrival Immigration leads to more prosperous communities KIMIA JAVANMARD CONTRIBUTOR

A billion years ago, green algae moved from aquatic environments to terrestrial ones; birds migrate every year, and fish shift to live a thousand miles away in hopes of building their lives in a state that suits them the best.

Humans tend to interrupt the natural processes to serve themselves, careless of the consequences for every other creature. Building physical and invisible walls are huge stop signs in the face of improvement. These manmade boundaries facilitate the humiliation of human rights. But human rights have no borders.

Not too long ago, a president of the United States executive order attempted to temporarily block the entry of citizens from seven Muslim majority countries, which would effect my own family.

Insulating a nation, although presented to be beneficial, is entirely ill-founded. Immigration helps to develop the host country’s economy. In fact, the more populous a country, the higher demand for service and products.

That results in more job opportunities. Some forget, or don’t know that Steve Jobs’ biological father was a Syrian immigrant. If he hadn’t been allowed to settle in the U.S., his son probably would have grown to face the civil war, and the only apple in our world today would have been the one in our fridges.

Policies generally allow immigration merely when it benefits the host country. Even though children 18 and younger are typically consumers, it is worthwhile to note that they are underage and are legally unable to apply for immigration without their parents. The only alternative way for young adults to move to Canada “on their own merits,” as stated by the government of Canada, is “as foreign students or through various economic programs.” Therefore, they are only allowed in the country if their jobs are already affirmed, or if they are continuing their studies; both of these options are sources of income for the government through tax and educational costs.

Accordingly, the government usually has strict rules to make sure the migration is beneficial for its nation.

Some try to argue that immigrants and refugees are

supported at the expense of citizens, but those arguments are misplaced. Immigration does not require the host to compromise. With today’s knowledge, wealth, and capacity it is very possible for developed nations to shelter refugees and improve the wellbeing of its citizens at the same time. In many ways the poorest and most vulnerable in each group can have aligned interests.

Countries that suffer from the demographic problem of an aging population will be positively affected by accepting new members into their societies. According to a study titled “Immigration and Pension Benefits in the Host Country” by Juan Lacombe and Fransico Lagos, the arrival of immigrants has an unambiguously positive impact on the natives since “the increasing number of contributors due to immigration will result in higher pension benefits for both retirees and older workers.” Thus, new citizens improve the wellbeing of both young and old due to their contributions to the host country.

Refugees and undereducated immigrants are often willing to live in smaller towns and take essential jobs in agriculture, housekeeping, food service, and construction, allowing small communities to survive longer. They often do the jobs that others avoid. Consequently, newcomers do not increase the population in the prisons, according to the American Immigration Council, but they instead have an incredibly positive effect on employment and economy.

Multiculturalism has powerful psychological and social impacts on both the immigrants and natives. A study done by Melody Chao, et al., in the International Journal of Intercultural Relations, revealed that when individuals are exposed to multiple cultures, they “synergize these cultures to produce novel products that transcend cultural boundaries.” People who live in multicultural environments show higher creativity; they are better able to recognize and integrate multiple perspectives and solve problems in an unconventional manner and were more innovative at work, according to Chao. Thus, the existence of diversity in a nation increases social intelligence. Getting people with all different backgrounds and talents who are able to create the best products is a great advantage to the host country.

In the case of students who grow up seeing a variety of skin colours and cultures in their everyday life, diversity will not appear as strange. “In-group” is a psychological concept that indicates the natural categorization of one accepting another due to similarities and as a result having positive feelings towards them. Being familiar and growing up with a wider range of ethnicities makes a broader in-group. Chao believes a multicultural society equips its citizens with “adaptive cultural tools” and “enable[s] them to consider alternative perspectives” and solutions. The more methods and models of living displayed, the more informative and therefore the more options one has in choosing the way of life that suits them the best. People find more common ground and further similarities with the rest of the members of society as they grow up together.

Numerous conflicts and wars across the globe spread corruption and pain. People suffer from fear, malnutrition, and violence on one side the world, while the other side’s democracy drowns in their blood. To say the least, children and innocent people in countries that are at war should not be crushed under the games of politicians. The destruction caused by war is so devastating that sheltering the victims is fundamental. Furthermore, a 2016 study titled “The Effects of War Experiences on Mental and Psychosocial Health of Former Child Soldiers: A Systematic Review” concluded that just witnessing violence caused former child soldiers to have “numerous mental and psychosocial health problems after war/conflict.”

Considering all of the bitterness, it is cruel to inhibit immigration and lower the chance of the rescue of refugees.

After all, immigration is an effective method of improving lives of both newcomers and natives. Blocking this path will lead to a regression of the flow of knowledge and skills. In addition, ignoring the demands of desperate people in war brings a sense of superiority of one race over another. Ethically, human rights should be the same and everyone deserves to be sheltered from oppression.

Every single human being has potential, can contribute, and more importantly, has the right to live a safe life.

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OPINION

WEDNESDAY, MAY 31, 2017

Federal Politics //

Did the Defence Minister lie?

CHRIS KLEINGERTNER ALUMNI CONTRIBUTOR

He lied. He has lost the trust of Canadians. He must resign. These have been the statements offered by the federal NDP and Conservative parties in response to a speech made by Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan to an audience in India in early April. Conservative defence critic James Bezan even went as far as to table a motion in the House of Commons demanding Sajjan’s resignation on May 8th — it was defeated by the Liberal majority.

The whole scandal is over a claim Sajjan made during his speech, that he was “the architect” of Operation MEDUSA, a major Canadian-led military offensive near Kandahar Afghanistan in 2006. The offensive was designed to be a multinational operation to push the Taliban and other insurgent forces out of the area and establish International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) control resulting in the death or capture of an estimated 1,500 combatants. Minister Sajjan was not however, “the architect” of the operation and it is this turn of phrase that the opposition has latched onto.

So, what did Sajjan actually do? Harjit Sajjan was an intelligence officer in Afghanistan in 2006, with considerable experience as an undercover police officer with the Vancouver Police narcotics division. He brought experience, with great effect, to his intelligence gathering role for the military. According to a 2006 reference letter, obtained by the National Observer, and written by Brigadier General David Fraser, Harjit Sajjan’s contributions were “nothing short of remarkable.” Fraser called Sajjan

“the best single Canadian intelligence asset in theatre.”

Fraser continued to say Sajjan “personally fused broad sources of information into an extremely coherent picture upon which most of the formations major operations were based.” Most important to the matter at hand, Fraser stated explicitly that “his analysis was so compelling that it drove a number of large scale theater-resourced efforts, including OPERATION MEDUSA.” So while Sajjan’s claim that he was “the architect” is incorrect, the scandal is, as Thomas Walkom, writing for the Toronto Star, called it, “grammatical” in nature. What Sajjan should have said was that he was an architect not the architect. Even if he played no role in the planning of the operation, the intelligence he collected and assessed laid the groundwork upon which those plans were built and would in my opinion make claims to be “an architect”

valid. Minister Sajjan has since apologized repeatedly for his poor choice of words but the opposition does not wish to let the issue go.

In Canadian federal politics, the non-governing parties hold very little actual power beyond their duty to hold the government to account through events like question period and interactions with the media. The high profile of this scandal has allowed those parties to raise a number of issues related to defence which would not normally receive much media attention; issues like the Liberal retreat from holding an inquiry into Afghan prisoner transfers, which Minister Sajjan may have been indirectly involved in through his capacity as an intelligence officer. Or questions about a “capability gap” facing the Canadian Air Force which justified the withdrawal of CF-18s from Iraq and the decision to purchase additional F-18s. Lastly, Harjit Sajjan is a high profile Liberal MP, holds an impressive resume, is recognizable to Canadians, and sits in Cabinet. If the opposition was able to force Minister Sajjan, for whatever reason, to resign it would be a major blow to the Trudeau administration, and help themselves in the next federal election.

The scandal is a non-issue, but the connected problems that the opposition are trying to raise should be worth further consideration, especially problems surrounding prisoner transfers during the Harper administration. Unfortunately, the Conservatives cannot press too openly on the prisoner transfer issue as it happened under their watch and may damage their own party. Instead they are choosing to engage in an act of political theatre, dancing around issues that matter in order to attack the current government over a few poorly chosen words.

Reality TV //

Where’s the line when you’re playing for $1,000,000?

JEFF MIJO CULTURE & EVENTS EDITOR

What would you do for a million dollars? For viewers of the reality television show Survivor, the easy answer is, “just about anything.” It’s all a game, after all. One contestant once justified her backstabbing game by saying that “people kill for less than what we’re playing for.”

While that’s true, the recently concluded 34th season showed that even within a game for a million dollars, there is still a boundary, and some actions are completely inexcusable.

Jeff Varner was in a tight spot. It was an all-returning players season, and Varner was on his third try (he played back in 2001, and again in 2015). He’d never reached the jury, the midpoint in the game after which eliminated contestants remain to select the winner. He was never a great player, but he was a good talker with a lot of energy, and my personal favourite on his previous two seasons, in part because he was the only player who shared my name and didn’t seem like a jerk.

That is, until April 12. Just one episode away from reaching the jury, Varner was poised to be the next person voted out of the game. So, he decided to do quite possibly the most despicable thing in Survivor history, and certainly the most egregious to ever be disguised as a “move” in the game. Varner announced in front of his whole tribe that “there is deception here, deception on levels that these guys don’t even understand,” before turning to fellow contestant Zeke Smith and asking, “Why haven’t you told anyone you’re transgender?”

Smith, who had played for the first time in the previous season, froze. Not only had he opted to keep his gender history private from his tribe, but he had made the

decision not to tell the audience either, explaining that he wanted be recognized for his merits as a Survivor player, not as the show’s first trans contestant. In a Hollywood Reporter article published the night of that episode (the season was filmed last summer), Smith explained that “Many gay people consider coming out a moment of liberation, because sharing their sexual orientation with the world causes them to be seen more authentically. Often, the opposite is true for trans people. When we share our gender history, many see us less authentically — doubting, probing, or denying our identities.”

Outing Smith as trans could have massive repercussions beyond the game, as it removes his ability to control whom he feels safe sharing that information with. In his article, Smith said, “As someone who is not readily perceived to be trans, I possess a great deal of privilege, both because I can control — well, used to control — who knows my gender history, and also because I don’t experience the same type of discrimination, or even violence, that more visible trans people face — especially trans women of colour.” However, with that control gone, Varner has opened Smith up to hate and violence from bigoted individuals or groups, including the potential to be fired in 28 states purely because of his history, all while forcing him into an unwanted position of being one of the better known trans figures in popular culture.

So if this all aired on April 12, why am I just writing about it now? Because at the time, I decided to let it lie.

What Varner did was horrible, but in his interviews in the aftermath, he seemed genuinely apologetic, like he understood the error in his ways. He stewed in it for the 10 months since filming, lost his job, received a lot of hate, and had to deal with international coverage of his terrible decision. I didn’t excuse what he did by any means, but I didn’t think there needed to be one more article out

there reiterating the issues. But on May 24, the season of Survivor ended, and as it always does, wrapped up with a live reunion show. And of course, the biggest story of the season couldn’t be avoided. Smith spoke eloquently about the outing, the reaction, and being trans in general.

Then it was Varner’s turn to speak, and he quickly started to spoil any goodwill he had left. He talked almost exclusively about himself, and how hard the backlash had been — even badmouthing his former employer — with little acknowledgement of the damage his actions had on Smith’s life. The show moved on to other topics, but then, as the reunion wrapped up, Varner got one last word in. And he used it to promote the fact that he’d written a book about dealing with his shame. He didn’t say he was going to donate any or all of the profits to a relevant charity, he didn’t say he did anything wrong. He didn’t use the platform given to him to apologize to the man whose life he’d irrevocably changed. He used it to try to make a profit. It looks like all of his apologizing and acting like he understood the error in his ways was just PR. Survivor is no stranger to controversy, backstabbing, and broken promises, but Varner’s actions go far beyond an in-game betrayal to one that has serious and lasting repercussions in people’s lives. Smith has handled the events amazingly, and thankfully does not appear to have had his life ruined by them, but said, “While I can reconcile the personal slight of him outing me, I continue to be troubled by his willingness to deploy such a dangerous stereotype on a global platform.”

Oh, and if you were curious, Varner’s actions didn’t even help him in the game like he’d hoped. He was eliminated immediately, and holds the distinction of being the only person to play Survivor three times without ever reaching the jury.

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 31, 2017

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OPINION

WEDNESDAY, MAY 31, 2017

SNAPSHOTS

Curtailed commentary on current conditions

Panku Sharma

Harvin Bhathal

“I’m Slipping Under”

New Students; Old Advice

I miss playing video games, but mostly I think I just miss being toxic. League of Legends (I was a Teemo main) at its peak especially, probably exemplifies everything great about being an asshole in a video game. Like with most things, moderation is key. Being unwarrantedly negative and aggressive over a competitive video game can instill bad habits, language, and coping mechanisms that have no place in the real world. Not to mention there are still always lines that should not be crossed, even when you’re dealing with strangers over the internet. Stay smarmy, but don’t get abusive. Those are people on the other end.

However, there’s still the level at which it can be a relieving outlet and a good way to decompress from the day. I just wish I had a game and community to do that with now, but nothing has really piqued my interest. Also, as it stands, my cats don’t understand or riff on my off-colour jokes, and I can’t be mean to them (unless it’s in a cutesy voice), because if the younger one ever gets stressed she poops under the couch.

Since registration is coming up, there are a couple things I think should be kept in mind when deciding on what classes to take. My general advice for students (though my experience was only with the bio and chem programs) would be to go out of your way to try and take professors who have previously taught the upper-level courses you need/want to specialize in later in your degree. This way you can get a feel for how they teach, how they create their exams, what they’re looking for, and what you need to do to succeed in their upper-level courses. This is really important because many “post” post-secondary courses, like law, medicine, masters, and PhDs look for an upward curve, and some only look at the last two years / 60 credits.

You can find old UFV timetables pretty easily, and use that to base your decisions off of.

Gagan Mahil

Sinking in Potholes

Sheeting the Bed

Potholes have always been an issue that would pop up (or down in the literal sense) every now and then in Abbotsford but the last few months have resulted in numerous flat tires and general car damage. One would assume the municipal government would prioritize solving an issue that is slowly becoming one of Abbotsford’s biggest nuisances (along with everything in this city closing by 9 p.m.).

They need to work faster in fixing these because some of the potholes plaguing the city are on the verge of becoming pot-canyons. While that is clearly an exaggeration, the point remains that it may not be too long until not only a tire is lost due to a pothole, but an accident is caused. Will it take a life lost for the government to consider this a serious issue? I hope not.

If and when I am able to buy my own bedsheets, I intend to get ones that are striped, or have a pattern that goes in only one direction. Why, you ask? Because they will drive me insane otherwise. Presumably, whoever invented fitted sheets intended them as a convenience. I find them to be a nightmare.

No matter how careful you are, you will always end up putting it on sideways. Every. Single. Time. The law of averages says that you should get it right about half the time. Yet apparently the laws of probability do not apply in this situation. Sometimes, you actually DID have it right the first time, but it still didn’t fit, so you end up having to try to put it on three, or even four times! Even after all of that, sometimes one corner just won’t hook under, no matter how hard you try, and it’s only a matter of time before it slips off, forcing you to pull it back down over and over again.

My patience and my sanity are sorely tested on an almost daily basis. I don’t need to endure more frustration from something as simple as making my bed.

Aleister Gwynne

Illustrations: Amara Gelaude

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FEATURE

WEDNESDAY, MAY 31, 2017

SPICE UP YOUR COURSE SELECTION WITH THESE RECOMMENDATIONS From the fall semester to the end of your degree; some electric electives Registration for the Fall 2017 semester is set to open in just a few weeks and we thought this would be as good a time as any to help you narrow down some electives or perhaps pique your interest in classes that you might not otherwise have considered. This list is applicable for any student — from wide-eyed first years who want a taste of different programs, to grizzled fourth years looking to escape the monotony of whatever rut they are in.

It will also feature classes that might not be offered regularly, but that you should keep an eye out for during your time here. Perhaps a bit of positive reinforcement can convince the university departments to take a chance on the more uncommon courses more often.

Your education will always mean more than just the grades you achieve and course plans you follow; I’d highly suggest many of these as electives as I think they either offer valuable experience and knowledge or are interesting and rare enough to give a chance.

ENGL 170: Literature in Context – Understanding Comics / ENGL 270H: Graphic Novels

Prerequisites: None.

Do you love comics / graphic novels? Need to take an English course as a requirement for a program and not sure what to take? You should consider checking out ENGL 170: Understanding Comics!

The course was proposed by Professor Ron Sweeney and first taught in Fall 2015, after which it received so much positive feedback that it has been offered twice since, and a subsequent second-year course, ENGL 270H: Graphic Novels was also offered for the first time this Winter 2017.

For far too long, the medium has been relegated to a category below “real” literature, but comics are capable of being just as deep and complex as any book, and at the same time as beautiful and inspiring as a painting or other fine work of art. ENGL 170 is a great introduction into the world of comics, their history, and place in the literary arts, as well as a look into just how deep and diverse this wonderful genre truly is. ENGL 270H continues a further examination of the graphic novel, and does not require you to have taken ENGL 170 prior, though it's recommended. Both courses include a wonderful syllabus of different work, from superhero stories to autobiographical “tragicomics.” Interpreting everything from text and characters to the hidden meaning in different panel styles and usage of colour, you might just find yourself looking at comics in a whole new way. Regardless of if you're a seasoned reader or just getting into it, these classes are a fun way to earn some credits while also discovering some amazing work and sharing your passion for the subject with others.

-Kat

Look out for

CMNS 235: Oral Communication (Public Speaking)

Prerequisites: None.

Literally every student, from hopeful lab techs, anthropologists, lawyers, cooks, and tradesmen — all stand to benefit in a meaningful way by developing their public speaking skills. I went into this class having to hold back shakes and vomit when talking in front of people, and came out at the end of the semester much more comfortable and cognizant with my communication. The assignments themselves are straightforward and simple (some busy work week-to-week in peer evaluations; I did my presentations themselves on topics from “How to make nachos” to “Why Bruce Wayne hates poor people”) but they will challenge you to step outside of your comfort zone.

An added benefit, not only will you make new friends (you actually learn about each other and talk) but if you take two other lower level communication courses (nine credits total) you can walk away with a Professional Communications Essentials Certificate.

-Panku

Offered in the fall 10

Writers: Panku Sharma Jeff Mijo Kat Marusiak Jessica Jahn Caleb Campbell Layout: Satinder Dhillon

FEATURE

WEDNESDAY, MAY 31, 2017

ENGL 104: Introduction to Creative Writing - Fiction, Poetry and Drama

Prerequisites: None

If you've been feeling locked up inside your head, struggling to really express feelings and ideas the way they sound in your thoughts, maybe this introductory creative writing course can help oil the gears a touch. You’ll be learning the most essential literary techniques and terminology, as well as getting closer to the heartbeat at the core of creative writing. Hone your skills writing fiction, poetry, and drama both in and out of class, and learn through inclass dialogues how to properly analyze and constructively critique fellow peers’ work in a discussion setting.

Recommended for those who would like to begin exploring their capability in expressing themselves through writing and start to get a more solid handle on contemporary and classical literary structure and language.

-Caleb

Offered in the fall CMNS 399c: Election Campaign Management Prerequisites: 60 credits, changed depending on special topic Also a general recommendation for Sam Schechter, as if this course is ever offered on a timetable again he’ll most likely being the one teaching it. Coinciding with the leadup to a provincial election, this course provided a unique opportunity to not only learn from someone with on-the-ground experience in the subject matter but also with the connections to bring in speakers such as NDP provincial director Raj Sihota and former B.C. Green party leader Stuart Parker.

The coursework was fun and challenging, and he’s about as fair of a marker as I’ve ever encountered. The class time itself was either filled with interesting and substantial discussion or imaginative workshops. (A highlight was an election day mock up where we organized volunteers and mapped out a district plan as a group.) However, compared to my other recommendations, I’d say this one might require some interest in the subject to begin with — it’s about the mechanics of politics and not the ideology of governance.

-Panku

MACS 299D: Zombies on the Brain: Popular Culture & the Living Dead

Look out for Prerequisites: None. MACS 110 or MACS 130 recommended

There are few courses as easy to pitch as MACS 299D. It’s about zombies, which is a good start on its own, and (almost) every week you’ll watch a movie in class. The readings are all PDFs, too, so you won’t have to buy a textbook. But beyond those straightforward selling points, it’s a fascinating class, and Darren Blakeborough really uses the limited time left after the films to provide a comprehensive understanding of the history of zombies in culture and media, and their role as stand-ins for social anxieties of the era. While the prerequisites say MACS 110 or 130 is recommended, MACS 299D is honestly a great introduction to a wide range of sociology concepts, and could easily foster an interest in media and communications studies as a whole through the accessible gateway topic of zombies. Add to that the fact that every class is entertaining and engaging from beginning to end with fun movies and conversational, relaxed, but also incredibly informative lectures, and MACS 299D is an easy recommendation for anyone who wants to understand the zombie phenomenon, or just have a class they look forward to every week.

-Jeff

Look out for 11

FEATURE

WEDNESDAY, MAY 31, 2017

POSC 332: The Politics of Multiculturalism

Prerequisites: 45 university-level credits

An exceptional course with Dr. Fiona MacDonald that will reframe your thinking of the tensions around multicultural accommodation, commonality, and the politics that surround them. In particular, this course will enable you to critically evaluate matters concerning power, recognition, and citizenship, which can be applied to a host of contemporary social issues both at the national and international level. If you are even vaguely interested in subjects such as social justice issues, human rights, Indigenous self-governance, and the Sharia law debate, this course is for you! It’s taught in a seminar style which is more interactive (student-led class discussions are the norm) which is really interactive active and engaging.

-Jessica

Offered in the fall POSC 322: Introduction to American Politics

Prerequisites: POSC 230 or 45 university-level credits

You’ll probably only see this during election seasons (Fall 2020), but when you do you should jump at the chance. Even if you're not taking Political Science as a major (but this should be a requirement if you are) this course is not only fun and engaging in its structure (breakout groups and independent in-class research for issues like gun control) but also provides a great primer to better understand American culture and its politics. You’ll find yourself comparing and learning more about ours as well.

I’d like to give a special shoutout to Professor Michelle Rhodes who taught this class when it was offered in 2016. She was incredibly knowledge, passionate, and led the class in a way that encouraged engagement that I haven't seen in similar courses. Quite a few professors at UFV could learn a thing or two by just sitting through one of those classes. My only regret was not nominating her for a teaching award in time.

-Panku

Look out for MACS 201: Music and Society I

Prerequisites: None.

MUSC 100, MACS 110, or MACS 130 recommended

Nothing can enhance a course quite like a professor who’s passionate about the subject, and Eric Spalding’s MACS 201 class is a prime example of that. The course covers a wide range of topics about the music industry, fandom, and its place in our culture, but the heart of the course is Spalding’s love of music: from sharing his favourite songs or artists (and sometimes those he finds hilariously bad), to talking about the differing tastes of his students, this is a course anyone who appreciates music can enjoy. The structure also makes it quite relaxed: there are three exams, but each only tests on material since the previous one, cutting the course up into three distinct parts and making studying much less stressful. If you love music, or are interested in the industry, come into this course with an open mind, ready to hear some new artists and talk about differing tastes, and you’ll have a great time. Plus, how many other professors play you their own original music?

-Jeff

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Offered in the fall

CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, MAY 31, 2017

Life is a Box of Swiss Chocolates:

Birthdays and being independent Switzerland, but it has been more of a fun thing — to get to know people in the local community. It’s never something I have taken seriously here, mostly because I want to go back home and finish school.

I’m not really prepared to let anything jeopardize that. I will definitely be applying for work abroad once I graduate since I have really enjoyed my time here and don’t have anything tying me down in Canada. But it won’t be for a guy. It will be because I want it.

I have always had strong inspirational women in my life who have encouraged me to follow my dreams. My dad too, has encouraged my independence. When I was little, I remember telling him that I wanted to be a hairdresser when I grew up. “Great!” he said. “We’ll build you the best shop in town and make sure you have the best run business.” My parents never said things like, “When you grow up, you’ll find a man who can support you.”

This trip has really made me want to get to know myself again and be okay with supporting myself. I think I lost sight of this before because of the pressure I felt from society to get a relationship to make

JENNIFER TRITHARDT-TUFTS CONTRIBUTOR / PHOTO

Life is a Box of Swiss Chocolates is a recurring column showcasing the life of a UFV student studying abroad. Jennifer is in Lucerne, Switzerland at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts this semester, and documenting the process as she goes.

I recently turned 25, and I had the best birthday here in Switzerland. Now, I should tell you that Swiss people are very private and not very fond of the whole big birthday display. So when I told a couple of Swiss friends that I wanted to celebrate my birthday weekend, they thought I was being kind of silly. It’s just not a thing people do here. But I figured 25 is a big deal regardless. I’m not around my family or longtime friends, so I wanted to do it up good.

Here it is: I started Friday with a Swiss gin tasting festival, Saturday was recovery morning, then prep to go on an overnight trip to the Matterhorn with my Swiss buddy. Saturday evening we took the three-hour train ride to Zermatt, Switzerland. Sunday we spent the day hiking, eating, and enjoying the amazing view of the Matterhorn. (If you don’t know what the Matterhorn is, it’s the mountain on the Toblerone bar and what the Matterhorn ride at Disneyland is based on.) The sky was clear, the weather was around 20 degrees; absolutely the best conditions for an amazing day. We left Zermatt around 19:00 and arrived back in Lucerne around 22:15. I went to my apartment and got ready for bed.

At midnight I heard many knocks on my door. I opened it, and there were about five of my roommates with candles, sing-

ing happy birthday. So sweet! Monday morning I met with an instructor visiting Switzerland from UFV, went to class, took a nap — then the real festivities began. I finished decorating the mini cupcakes I made and popped the champagne. We headed to a beautiful little park by my apartment and had what felt like a Marie Antoinette themed picnic with mini cupcakes, macarons, and champagne.

Luckily, I didn’t completely lose my head, and was very aware of its presence on my shoulders the next morning. It was such a nice birthday weekend and I’m so happy I got to spend it with great people in an incredibly gorgeous country.

Despite having such a great weekend, it really got me thinking.

I wouldn’t say it was a full-on quarter-life crisis but there were questions. I got thinking about my life, wondering if I’ve done enough, and what more I have left to accomplish. I would say that for the most part I’m very happy with the life I have led so far. I’ve taken quite a bit of time to complete school, but I have met so many people, gotten some really great work experience and opportunities, and ultimately learned a lot about myself in a safe environment. I don’t regret any of it and I am especially happy I had an opportunity to come to Europe before I graduate.

But a friend of mine said something the other day that really rubbed me the wrong way. I don’t think it was intended to, but it did. He said, “It looks like you’re having a great time there. If you find love, you probably won’t come back to Canada, right?” All I could think was why does another person have to validate this experience for me? If I like it enough here, I will stay on my own merits.

Sure, I’ve talked about dating while in

“If you are ever feeling trapped, or small and insignificant, just try to get out of your bubble and into the world some more.”

myself happy.

I have always wanted to be a mom and a wife, and I hope one day I get that opportunity. But as I’ve had the time to really think about my future, I’ve realized I want a partner who is motivated and driven. Someone that I can share my successes and failures with. Someone who is open enough to share their successes and failures with me. I don’t want to just settle — I don’t need to. I was so worried before about how fast the clock was ticking, and started focusing on just picking someone and settling down, but that’s not fair for either person involved.

For my renewed confidence in myself, my abilities, and my future, I have Europe to thank. I strongly recommend if you are ever feeling trapped, or small and insignificant, just try to get out of your bubble and into the world some more. There are people out there that want the same things as you, and when you meet other types of people you realize the spark in yourself. There is no need to ever become complacent and not live the life you want.

Convocation //

Concerned about convocation?

We’ve got you covered JEFF MIJO CULTURE & EVENTS EDITOR

Congratulations, you’re graduating!

Or maybe you know someone who is, and want to watch the ceremony and cheer them on. Or maybe you’re a first year, just looking ahead to dream about a distant goal. Whatever the case, The Cascade has the rundown on everything you need to know about UFV’s convocation ceremonies for the class of 2016/17.

The ceremonies will take place at the Abbotsford Centre on Tuesday, June 6 and Wednesday, June 7, and are broken up into four individual parts: Ceremony 1, June 6 @ 9:30 a.m. – faculty of applied and technical studies & faculty of access and continuing education Ceremony 2, June 6 @ 2:30 a.m. – college of arts Ceremony 3, June 7 @ 9:30 a.m. – faculty of professional studies Ceremony 4, June 7 @ 2:30 a.m.

– faculty of science & faculty of health sciences If you’re in ceremony 1 or 3, be prepared to get up early — you need to be at the Abbotsford Centre an hour before the start time to collect and put on your regalia, pick up your credential, and otherwise prepare for the three-to-fourhour event. So don’t forget to eat a filling breakfast beforehand!

If you’re not sure what you should wear, don’t worry too much: the gown will cover most of your clothes, so while

shorts and runners are not recommended, “summer business attire” is a good option to help keep cool under the warm gown. Comfortable shoes are also a plus, as graduates will be standing and walking on concrete for much of the time.

Speaking of regalia, the deadline to preorder and get a discount has passed, but you’ll be able to rent a gown and hood, and buy a hat, on the day of your ceremony for $60 (Visa, cheque, and cash are all accepted). While wearing the cap and tassel are optional, renting/purchasing the outfit is not.

However, compared to some schools, you’ll save money on parking. All UFV parking lots will be free during these two days, and with free entry, there’s no limit to the number of guests you can bring along with you. While the graduate is getting ready, guests will have a chance to purchase snacks from a concession, or flowers and UFV Alumni Association or UFV Bookstore items.

For those with friends and family who aren’t able to make it to Abbotsford, all four ceremonies will be broadcast live online and on CIVL radio, 101.7 FM. After the ceremony is over, there’ll be time to get photos in your regalia with family and friends. But before you head off to celebrate years of work / get to work to pay off those loans / sleep for a week straight, you may want to stop at the campus card office (S1101) to have your alumni card made.

After that, your journey at UFV is complete… unless you’re planning to return to work on another program, or maybe coming back to work here, or just want to visit sometime. Whatever route you take, congratulations from The Cascade!

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CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, MAY 31, 2017

Classics //

UFV hosts classic car show

Photo: Alexandrah Pahl

JEFF MIJO CULTURE & EVENTS EDITOR

On May 28, UFV served as the endpoint for Ride to Live Fraser Valley, a motorcycle ride from Chilliwack, Agassiz, Mission, and Abbotsford raising money and awareness for prostate cancer research. At UFV, collectors were invited to display their classic cars as part of the event, and a host of enthusiasts brought a wide range of vehicles for the riders and other attendees to admire.

Photo: Alexandrah Pahl

Local band //

The Sylvia Platters build new album on cohesion and a focused sound MARTIN CASTRO ARTS EDITOR

Sitting his living room, The Sylvia Platters frontman Nick Ubels spreads his arms and holds them open at an obtuse angle.

“The first record was like this. This is the range of styles and influences.” He says, emphasizing the angle of his arms before bringing them closer together to describe the band’s more focused approach on their sophomore release, MELT. “We’ve zeroed in a little bit more on what we think works for us and what we all like to play together. I feel like we’ve been able to put together something that fits in a way that’s really nice and complements everything else.”

Says Ubels.

The Platters’ cohesion on their newest record comes as the band embraces the addition of two members after the departure of former bassist Simon Tressel. Joining the Platters are Alex Kerc-Murchison on guitar and Scott Wagner on bass, rounded out by Tim Ubels on drums.

Ahead of a string of shows which will culminate in the June 24 release of MELT, Tim Ubels says that if recording 2015’s Make Glad The Day taught the Platters anything, it’s that less is more.

“On the new record, we have different things on different levels and we can hear them all coming through clearly instead of trying to fit them all into the same space.”

Nick Ubels adds that embracing space on MELT has allowed The Platters to focus on and highlight track elements more clearly, a strategy which has in turn produced a more cohesive end-product.

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“Even though the record is more of a shoegaze / dream pop album, there’s more atmosphere and texture to it. But we’re doing that with less tracks. There’s a sense of restraint in terms of recording. Allowing ourselves to write a song that’s slower has been crazy but it seems to work. [“Tangerine”] might be my favourite song on the record.”

Cohesion, it would seem, is a quality that bleeds over from the Platters’ music to the Platters themselves. Despite being a new member, Alex Kerc-Murchison says that his integration into the band has been as smooth as it has been fruitful.

“I think we understand our different approaches [to songs.]” says Kerc-Murchison. “I may come up with a different riff than [Nick] would, but it would still fit within the song.”

Apparently oblivious to their endearingly cohesive stance on band cohesion, both Ubels (first Nick, then Tim) echo Kerc-Murchison’s comments.

“With a particular song, I think we can all work towards a common goal.”

“I don’t really think there’s anyone that has an ego in the band.”

Despite their lack of ego, the Platters’ latest record sees them embrace a more downcast kind of college rock that will have you swinging your hips at any one of their shows this summer. “[Two shows] we’re really excited about are two backto-back shows in Victoria.” Says Nick Ubels. “One night is at the Copper Owl, and the following day is at Logan’s.

That’s the final show of Blessed’s massive North American tour, so we’re going to meet back up with those guys and play a show in Victoria together. That’s one of the shows we’re most excited about.”

Perhaps echoing the familiarity and camaraderie of the local music scene, Tim Ubels casually plugs the show by throwing out a phrase which is as casual as it is effective: “A couple of Abbotsford bands just meeting on the island.”

Catch The Sylvia Platters (joined by MALK and Kristin Witko) as they launch MELT on June 24 at O’Neill’s, and on July 12 with Grotto Mall, Casinos, and Jenny Banai at Carport Manor.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 31, 2017

Profile //

Speaking of writing A Q&A with UFV professor, Trevor Carolan the way. But we’ve also worked hard to preserve this beautiful planet from humanity’s own worst impulses, and somebody had to take that on. So I’m still with Ringo in the love and peace and harmony mode.

JESSE BOYES JR NEWS EDITOR

Trevor Carolan is a professor at UFV who teaches creative non-fiction, poetry, literary journalism, and other writing classes. He recently published his 20th book, and over the years has written about his travels in Asia, the literature of the Pacific Coast, Eastern philosophy, and books of poems, among other topics. Since reading some of his books, I’ve been intrigued by the breadth of his knowledge. Near the end of May, I paid a visit to his home in the seaside village of Deep Cove, North Vancouver, to inquire further into the story of his life in writing.

This sunny and scorching Friday, I walked up the stairs past some fresh bamboo shoots already standing taller than the ornamental bamboo stair railing, and knocked on Carolan’s door.

Could you tell us about your West Coast / Cascadia literary and ecological interests?

Carolan played an old-timey Hawai’ian record as we ate haupia, a dessert brought by his friend who had just been visiting from Honolulu. We sat out on the deck overlooking the inlet and considered the writing life.

You wrote the book The Literary Storefront: The Glory Years. The poet Mona Fertig founded the Storefront in Gastown in 1978. Her father, George Fertig, a painter, corresponded with the psychologist Carl Jung. Did you ever read up much on Jungian psychology?

I was introduced to his work peripherally as a student back in the late-‘60s. His idea of universal archetypes was new to me, although it was already becoming mainstream thought. When I returned to England for a time, I had a bachelor uncle who had great amounts of time for reading. He was an autodidact, a self-taught Irish labourer who read voraciously. He had an interest in consciousness and was the first person I knew who actively practiced the use of the I Ching, the ancient Chinese book of oracles. Some say that this is the oldest book in the world, and there’s probably a good argument for that.

Jung was also interested in the **I Ching and studied it intensely. With a bit of familiarity, you get to see how it corresponds in some ways with his idea of archetypes.

The I Ching (or The Book of Changes in English) is directed toward focus upon synchronicities between corresponding energies/personalities/events/probabilities.

The Taoists understand it as a means of consulting the Great Oracle regarding the most appropriate course of action about a specific situation at a specific moment in time. It can be very supportive in helping us to clarify our own mind regarding these same situations. Jung wrote the preface for the definitive Wilhelm/Baynes translation from Zurich of the I Ching in English with Princeton University Press in 1949. All other translations effectively rest upon this work; many other versions offer their readings in simplified forms of English and can be useful too, but the smart seeker always checks back on the Wilhelm/Barnes just to be sure.

What was different about those days when The Literary Storefront was jumping?

My generation was music-centred, that’s what we loved.

It was public and communal; there was an interchange.

The current generation is anime/digital-computer attuned with a virtual world that is inherently impersonal, solitary. It’s frequently violent and excessively sexualized. It started with Pac-Man and evolves into Grand Theft Auto. Much of it has come from urban Japan, where they know a lot about depersonalized culture. The

Photo: Jesse Boyes

Lit Storefront scene was feminist-inspired, democratic, and highly inclusive. It was not about the golden cliquey crowd or high-tech gadgets. Everyone got a chance to participate.

Raymond Carver was a highly influential writer with roots in Washington state. He attended the same small university as you in Northern California, didn’t he?

Ray Carver, with his almost confessional voice, was the first really great writer from the West Coast who had to work with New York editors. A profoundly humble guy.

He was a West Coast person who saw Humboldt State University in Arcata, where he attended school and found some teaching work, in the benevolent way that many of us see our smaller Cascadia region towns and schools here. Every time he mastered a square in his work, he moved on to something new. This was his achievement in modern lit, and those teachers who chose to follow after him like Jim Dodge got you thinking about your own muse.

I’ve been inspired by innovators like Carver, Grace Slick, playwright George Ryga, and how they open us up to new ways of seeing, of looking in new ways at what we already know, the way that Miles Davis and John Coltrane do in jazz. So part of my ongoing project is witnessing how the Western world’s social and cultural revolution from the 1960s has morphed into mainstream cultural changes—the whole sweep of diversity, multiculturalism, pluralism, interconnectedness. I’m interested in making sense of the changes that are hopefully leading the way toward a new meta-narrative, a new spiritual grounding for the global age. The role of the Beat writers and The Beatles in that transformation interests me as well.

You’re still enthusiastic about the 1960s social activist project?

You bet. Let’s not forget that we’ve been subjected to an unrelenting attempt by establishment culture to beat down and vapourize that whole generational challenge, to pretend it didn’t really happen. Well it did, it was unforgettable, and it’s not finished yet. We believed that we could change the world — make it a more loving place.

That’s a big task, and we made the usual stumbles along

What’s apparent to me as a writer and scholar from B.C. is how we challenge the East Coast with our ideas.

I feel welcome in front of the alternative culture you can find out here, and in my work I’m always interested in bringing news of alternative culture to the mainstream melting-pot. Bioregionalism is what’s percolating up and down the West Coast / western North American region these days. It typically includes the ideas of a new kind of scholar from outside the main parts of the culture, and getting the creative work accomplished normally rests on a certain degree of nature literacy, individual perseverance, knowledge of one’s craft, a kind of intuitive selfawareness, and flexibility about ways of getting things done. Not always so much about ambition.

If there’s a raison d’être in this, it’s that in articulating our experience of living in the Pacific Northwest region / Cascadia especially, we consciously enhance its identity rather than divide it up. We’re not identifying the borders; perhaps we blur the borders in our work and practice. In a tribal kind of way we enjoy identifying the distinctiveness of our West Coast culture. We’re directly addressing our constituents’ issues, and we’re sounding our own voice in acknowledging a cultural ecology that absorbs and respects ideas and traditions from Settler, trans-Pacific, and Indigenous First Nations cultures.

How do you see your own writing? Perhaps your teaching, as you still practice both?

I’ve read that William Hazlitt — the Romantic-era essayist and critic — took a long time to find his real vocation, to discover that he was born to write. Looking back, it was like that for me, although friends tell me that I always knew I wanted to be a writer. After years of reading and experience, Hazlitt finally developed his own “literary colloquial” style of English that some describe as having the effect of good, enlightened conversation.

That’s not far off what I aim for.

A good teacher creates the stimulus for us to learn, for guiding the mind on to the next level, like yoga. The Chinese say that “the student is always looking for a teacher, but the good teacher is always looking for a student.”

There’s reciprocity involved, so I don’t want to become obsessed by nostalgia, or with putting down the young, the new.

As a teacher, I basically follow what I learned from Sifu Ng Ching-Por, my old Tai Chi master for 23 years, and Allen Ginsberg and Gary Snyder, both of whom I attended workshops with at Hollyhock on Cortes Island. When I was researching and writing my doctoral dissertation in Australia, I came upon an interview with Grace Slick, the charismatic vocalist from the Jefferson Airplane, one of the first major psychedelic bands out of San Francisco.

She spoke to the heart of the transformational consciousness idea that I was working with. I remember her saying that with all the blitzkrieg power of the innovative social thinking, art, music, books, and public energy of those times that she genuinely believed you could change people, but how in spite of it all, you can’t. The only person we can really change is ourselves.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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STUDY BREAK

WEDNESDAY, MAY 31, 2017

Crossword // ACROSS

DOWN

2. Polite way to ask someone to repeat themselves (2 words)

1. Capital of Syria

5. “Roundabout” band

3. Inexperienced, innocent, or gullible

7. Genetic code

4. Pirate fashion

8. Home of the hobbits

6. Incredibly common food seasoning

9. To give birth to a baby cow 10. Colonial insect

7. Lacking hearing 8. A dance or a sauce

11. Common sickness 12. “Say hello to my little friend” film

LAST ISSUE’S ANSWERS: Across: 1. pork 3. Marvel 4. argyle 5. Seal 7. UFO 8. skim 10. cake 12. wit 13. echo 14. cougar 15. Donkey 16. Zeus

Down: 1. play on words 2. kayak 3. mosaic 6. lute 8. site 9. melody 11. klutz

Made by Jeff Mijo

Horoscope //

Astrological mysteries interpreted by Master Moji

Aries — Mar 21 to Apr 19 The week, you will be blessed with the ability to plug a USB cable in the right way on the very first try.

Leo — Jul 23 to Aug 22 Want to save money on parking? UFV may charge you to park a car, but there’s no stall numbers on the green, so if you just land a helicopter there, they can’t make you pay a dime! (You can pay me back for this great advice by giving me rides, please.)

Sagittarius — Nov 22 to Dec 21 I know you can talk the talk, and I see you can walk the walk, but can you squawk the squawk?

Taurus — Apr 20 to May 20 If you follow The Cascade on Twitter, you’ll have good luck in your professional life this week.

Virgo —Aug 23 to Sep 22 If you like The Cascade on Facebook, you’ll have good luck in your social life this week.

Capricorn — Dec 22 to Jan 19 If you follow The Cascade on Instagram, you’ll have good luck in your gastrointestinal life this week.

Gemini — May 21 to Jun 20 Look Gemini, I’m sure you’re cool, and it’s unique that your symbol is actually two people and not just like, a crab, but have you ever looked Gemini up on Wikipedia? The picture they’ve got for you is real creepy.

Cancer —Jun 21 to Jul 22 June will be a good month for you to take risks — at least when it comes to picking movies on Netflix. Otherwise, play it safe.

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Libra — Sep 23 to Oct 22 The Cascade wouldn’t let me contribute to the feature in this issue. I wanted to talk about my very well-received astrology course, but apparently they care about things like “conflict of interest” and “not being an accredited course” and “scams.” I think these writer sorts are all just scared of my power to transcribe the real truths.

Scorpio — Oct 23 to Nov 21 Which came first: the word fingernails, or nails used for carpentry? And who said one of those was anything like the other?

English is dumb.

Aquarius — Jan 20 to Feb 18 This is a good day for self-reflection. How many chicken nuggets would it take for you to commit a small crime? What about a major one? Think hard, because life has some surprising curveballs headed your way.

Pisces — Feb 19 to Mar 20 This kong’s got style, so listen up, dudes.

ARTS

WEDNESDAY, MAY 31, 2017

Netflix Review //

CHARTS 1

Broken Social Scene Hug of Thunder

2

Blessed EP 2

3

Perfume Genius No Shape

4

Mac DeMarco This Old Dog

5

Do Make Say Think Stubborn Persistent Illusions

6

Feist Pleasure

7

The New Pornographers Whiteout Conditions

8

The National Sleep Well Beast

9

Grizzly Bear Painted Ruins

10

Ghost Twin Plastic Heart

11

Steve Kozak It’s Time

12

High Signs If So, Then What?

13

Close Talker Lens

14

Cherly Garcia Random

15

The Pale Light Swells

16

Timber Timbre Sincerely, Future Pollution

17

Lindi Ortega Til The Goin’ Gets Gone

18

Kristin Witko Union

19

Hooded Fang Dynasty House

20

B.A. Johnston Gremlins 3

SHUFFLE

AARON LEVY

KNITTING INSTRUCTOR

CIVL Station Manager Aaron Levy has been waiting 15 years to host the National Campus and Community Radio Conference in Abbotsford from June 7-11 this month! Check out these four incredible musicians who will be performing for us, and presenting panels and workshops focused on supporting local arts and artists in our community and beyond! Visit www.civl.ca/ ncrc36 for more details.

Grab your gravitational beam emitters; Blame! is back with a new full-length film The recently released adaptation is a wonderful window into Tsutomu Nihei’s dark, dystopian world

Haviah Mighty — My Love Hailing from nearby Brampton, Ontario, Haviah Mighty may be one of the most exciting lyricists in the Greater Toronto Area. I haven’t lived around town for over a decade, so take my words with a grain of salt if you will, but the cadence and emotion of this track transcends.

Jenny Omnichord — Where Is My Mind I first heard this cover on the CFRU Just West of Something Big compilation, but Jenny Mitchell has made a name for herself and her career since her early teens, writing bedroom pop, singer-songwriter material, first with the Bar Mitzvah Brothers, then as Jenny Omnichord, and now Bird City.

Huron — The Biggest Dig The first show I ever booked in Abbotsford, predicated by a chance run in at the Guelph, Ontario Hillside Music and Arts Festival in the summer of 2010, Huron rocked the socks off of a house full of unassuming punks and Brewsers at the Air Fair Lounge in downtown Abby.

Holy Hum + Stephen Carl O’Shea — Midnight Music Stephen Carl O’Shea, or as he’s better known locally, Steve O-Scene, S.O.S., Uncle Steve from the Real Boys of Guatemala, and most recently, the Executive Director of the New Westminster Arts Council, is a staple of Abbotsford’s music community, whom I sometimes claim CIVL wouldn’t exist without.

KAT MARUSIAK COPY/MANAGING EDITOR

On May 20, Netflix released Blame!, a new anime film by Polygon Pictures based on the famous science fiction manga by Tsutomu Nihei (also the author behind the well-known Knights of Sidonia, which has its own adapted anime series also on Netflix), and it offers an intriguing glimpse into its dark and expansive technological world.

Far into the distant future, but still long before the events of the film, a contagion infected the existing net-based industrial society (the system network being called the “Netsphere”), and as a result, a collective known as the “Safeguard” gained dominion over “The City,” a now ever-expanding structure that their automated systems endlessly add layers to. Because of this, humans have lost the ability to connect with the Netsphere and take back control of The City, and are now seen by the Safeguard as illegal residents to be terminated on sight, hunted by terrifying killing machines known simply as “Exterminators.”

The film centres on a small tribe of isolated humans known as the “Electro-Fishers” who have been surviving in hiding, scavenging for food, but now find themselves running out of resources fast. The story begins with a group of young adults from the enclave, lead by a brave but slightly rash girl named Zuru, who steal some of the elders’ armour and venture far from the safe zone in search of a pipe containing a nutrient “sludge,” one of the few food sources known to their people. However, the mission ends in abject failure, as the pipe turns out to be dry, and the Safeguard are alerted to their presence and send Exterminators to eliminate them.

Enter our near-silent protagonist, Killy the Wanderer, a mysterious human traveller from 6000 city levels below their location, on a journey in search of any human being with the “net terminal gene” — a person who would have the power to communicate with the Netsphere once again and reclaim control of The City from the Safeguard. After Killy saves Zuru and the other remaining members of the ill-fated expedition group from the pursuing Exterminators, they take him back to their protected village in hopes that they may be able to repay him by helping in his search, and in doing so, potentially help themselves and all of humanity as well.

Blame! is visually stunning, the art style a masterful blend of traditional and digital mediums that

works very well in helping to successfully capture the gritty, cyberpunk atmosphere of its post-apocalyptic world. Action sequences are for the most part crisp and smooth, and the animation is fast-paced and exciting, with the 3D CG effects making it feel as though the Exterminators may burst right out of the screen and into your living room. Those who’ve watched Knights of Sidonia will likely feel some familiarity with the aesthetics, as both share similarities.

The story is fascinating, though somewhat convoluted, and the universe quite expansive; the film only scratches the surface of the intricate lore, and some viewers may feel slightly overwhelmed by the large amount of information and background introduced in such a short time span. Focusing on the tale surrounding the Electro-Fishers, a small aspect of the larger story, helps to alleviate this to a degree.

However, the audience is definitely left with many unanswered questions (though some may be clarified by the source material, others may still be left intentionally vague), although this makes it a unique experience for each individual, as the viewer is left to fill in some of the blanks with their own imagination. I found myself longing for a series-length adaptation that would have allowed for more exploration of the epic story and many interesting characters, such as the female scientist, Cibo, introduced later in the film who is also a main character in the manga. Though Killy barely talks and we know very little about him, in a similar manner to the type the player controls in many video games who speak more with their actions than their words, it’s easy to transpose a part of oneself onto the character and become more invested as we also yearn to learn more about him and his past.

I’ve heard mixed reviews from fans who had previously read the manga before watching, but have been told that despite a few notable changes, it does a rather decent job in trying to remain faithful to the source material, and response to the film has generally been favourable. It serves as a good introduction to the cold and complex, yet beautiful world of Blame!, which both those well-versed and those new to the series may enjoy. I myself had not read the manga before seeing the new movie, but I certainly intend to check it out now that I have.

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ARTS

WEDNESDAY, MAY 31, 2017

Soundbites //

PSY

J Blissette

4x2=8

A Series of Observations / Love Letter

One of our favourite Korean pop stars is back with a brand new record! PSY, or as some might know him, “the Gangnam Style guy” released his eighth album 4x2=8 this month, and it’s full of the bouncy, cheerful beats he’s famous for.

A huge sensation in South Korea, PSY achieved international fame when the video for “Gangnam Style” exploded in popularity in 2012, and to this day holds the title of most viewed YouTube video at almost three billion. That’ll be tough to match, but 4x2=8’s hit singles “I Luv It” and “New Face” are already making waves, with both music videos reaching over 30 million views in less than two weeks.

PSY’s wide appeal is partially due to his crazy choreography and unique moves, which make for wonderfully quirky, fun

performances in which he often incorporates other artists and large dance numbers with a good dose of zany humour.

Whether you speak Korean or not, PSY’s music and dancing are incredibly contagious, and his charisma and goofy nature make him hard to dislike.

The album contains more energetic tracks as well as slower love songs, and those which showcase his impressive rapping skills. With an overarching message promoting love, happiness, and acceptance, 4x2=8 is a great feelgood summer album. “Who you are — luv it! Who they are — luv it! Even if you’re a hater, I luv it so much!” PSY sings, “I luv it, I luv it, I luv it!” And with the album already so successful and still gaining steam, it’s pretty clear he’s not the only one.

I caught Lethbridge, Alberta’s J Blissette at Carport Manor earlier this month. Let me tell you about J Blissette.

Despite his tropical-tinged half-ska, half-punk style, lead singer / guitarist Jackson Tiefenbach’s set rivaled Villain Villain’s most danceable peaks (Villain Villain shared the bill with J Blissette) and Loans’ most tension-filled, headbanging endeavours.

“A Series of Observations” — a song which would fit perfectly along with a more contentious version of Save Ferris — sees J Blissette trade in punk’s traditionally dissatisfied delivery for a more melodic approach, making up for the lack of volume with lyrics that are just as accessible as they are dissatisfied, and (more importantly) immediately charismatic. Also, a saxophone solo crops up

surprisingly, halfway through the track, and guys, as far as saxophone solos go, it’s pretty kick-ass.

“Love Letter” is a much more straightforward, yet equally danceable, punk hit.

More dissatisfied than its sister release, Tiefenbach screeches out his attempt at writing a love letter and oscillates between a Johnny Rotten-esque growl and an undeniably melodic counterpart.

And if a violently snapped guitar string (casually shrugged aside) and more writhing than I’ve seen a single person do on-stage are any indication, the biggest challenge J Blissette’s music will pose to listeners or show-goers will be in deciding to either headbang along to it, or break out into dance.

Martin Castro

Kat Marusiak Album Review //

Chicano Batman’s Freedom is Free isn’t the summer album you were expecting, but that’s why it’s the one that’ll stick with you.

MARTIN CASTRO ARTS EDITOR

“La Jura,” the first song I heard off of Freedom is Free after casually clicking on Chicano Batman’s NPR Tiny Desk performance while waiting for a coffee at Waterfront station is remarkable for two reasons.

The first is that it’s in Spanish. And the second is that it follows a narrative which, had it been delivered in English, wouldn’t play nearly as well. Over a jazzy R&B guitar and keyboard riff, Bardo Martinez sings about the shooting of a friend by police.

“The other night was / a very terrible night. / They shot a friend of mine / in a street near here. / They abandoned him. / A lifeless object next to the corner. / I don’t understand why. Those that ought to protect do the opposite, they kill innocents.”

Here’s the thing, though. As heartbreaking as the song’s content might be, there is no way you won’t at least swing your hips to this keyboard-driven slow jam.

And the organ solo at the two-minute mark showcases one of the most quickly uplifting keyboard riffs in recent memory.

That’s Chicano Batman’s magic. Whereas some indie acts might incorporate soul or R&B or Mexican ballads with straightforward rock or pop, Chicano Batman does the opposite, incorporating sweetly accessible melodies into what’s essentially a Mexican folk-tinged fusion R&B record. “Run” switches tacks halfway through and effortlessly jumps from a slow-jam show tune to a samba.

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The track takes in elements of Latin music so effectively that listeners will easily be able to dance a samba without having ever seen the dance.

There are some purely instrumental tracks, like “Right off the Back” and “Area C” whose purpose it seems to be to round out the record, and given the breadth of Chicano Batman’s exploration throughout Freedom, these instrumental tracks provide a buffer for the more narrative-packed content on the album.

Tracks like “Freedom is Free” are uniquely bittersweet funk numbers that would be just at home at a summer barbeque as they would be accompanying any commute.

If there’s one thing that’s evident over most of Freedom is Free it’s the flexibility of the sometimes more soulful, sometimes more Mexican-derived instrumentals and vocals which always blend into a cohesive project.

“Flecha al Sol,” another of the Spanish-language tracks on the record, manages to provide one of the record’s most memorable vocal performances because it follows its own instrumental lead in such a way that it becomes another instrument, supporting the keyboards throughout the cheerful track.

“Jealousy” on the other hand, is more lyrically inventive (possibly because of the common language it’s written in) and presents listeners with a heartfelt take on love without turning to clichés or even the modern-day ballad structure that seems inescapable when finding narratively sentimental tracks.

Album closer “Area C” gives listeners a break with smooth classical guitar lines and strings that emulate ambient music. Perhaps less memorable than the other

tracks on the record, it closes off Freedom is Free with a tranquility that’s well-received after such a lively record.

ART

OF THE

SUMMER Submissions are due Wednesday, July 19th

Limit of three submissions per person

Submissions must have been created with in the last year

Accepted mediums: painting, drawing, print, photography, digital art, sculpture, 3d work Include a 50 word bio, 150 word artist statement, and image list with titles, mediums, sizes, and dates of creation Selected works may be displayed at the Cascade lounge

ARTS

WEDNESDAY, MAY 31, 2017

Poetry Review //

What’s in a digsite: Owain Nicholson finds meaning in dirt JESSE BOYES JR. NEWS EDITOR

With the opening line, “Aspen are pale femurs thrust skyward,” working archaeologist Owain Nicholson welcomes readers into such excavations of fractal similarities. The first poem, “Diggin’ in the Rain,” is a gripping beginning that hints at what humour, beauty, and casualties are to be uncovered in Digsite.

The poems convey some narrative throughout, but mostly they are keen observations dressed in metaphor or rhetorical play. Nicholson describes some potentially miserable conditions while working in the field such as being covered in muskeg and swarmed by horseflies while hard

Album Review //

at work in the Alberta oil sands. No pleas for sympathy, just pure expressive observation of gratitudes and grievances. He sways from contemplating the beauty of dragonflies coupling in the rainfall, to lugging his steel-toes through Ecclesiastes’ less than encouraging notions. Titles like “Sisyphus Takes Atlas on a Hike” declare Nicholson’s existential preoccupations while he and fellow workers dig and sweat on.

In “Omens,” the gloomy line, “bipedality preceded encephalization” suggests that the work Nicholson is engaged in seems to have no intelligent goal; it just keeps going.

Legs must have evolved before brains. He alludes to further auditing the significance of life later in the same poem: “Sometimes I think, there is meaning in people. All night, thunder, the clash of two rocks underwater.

I am often wrong.” Trivial patterns can be meaningful for this archaeological poet, and intentional actions seen as absurd.

In Nicholson’s collection, the archaic is salvaged from everyday language in a way that surprises you with your own vocabulary. He mines the etymology of more familiar words to use them unusually, letting the word “photograph” become something that an ocean wave can do. This is poetry which requires the kind of mid-poem clause within “Let Us Dismember ‘Cultural Superiority’”: “May my words never be eroded by another’s citation; it is there that this language will sinister.” Trying to explain his poems would too often disfigure them. With sharp imagery Nicholson follows through on metaphors that sometimes become clear only after multiple stanzas are read. At the same time, he forbids any over-indulgent public analysis.

There are poems in Digsite that inspire me to sit quietly for a time before reading another. In others, I will surely see new meaning jump out of during future readings.

Often a poem points out the worldly presence of metaphor rather than using it for another end, as in “Natural Selection” where in the city, “sunlit stalagmites scrape sky,” so that man-made buildings are embellished deposits of sediment dripping from a cave ceiling. Different processes are illustrated as having similar patterns, or as being part of one larger process. Also in “Natural Se-

lection,” the paddling arms of a surfer are “cilia,” as in the the microscopic flailing limbs of a single-celled protozoa. Nicholson, labouring over the hot muskeg, glimpses the invisible threads of the great chain of being, the helix, and brings us these poems.

This is neither an optimist’s handbook nor a bohemian’s weeping for a natural world ravished by a senseless human species. In a strange way it seems to embrace the idea that “Every living is a kind of sacrifice, and each burial a monument for the beaks of scavengers.” Somehow it does not come across as hopeless raving that “it’s all a migration, all a hopelessness we share.” Deep time comes to light in “Hypocrisy Beneath the Sun” with the line “How they walked, those earlier people, we walk” and then future generations are envisioned looking back at us as their ancestors to “laugh / at our short, pitiful extirpation.” Nicholson sees evolutionary success as both the lottery jackpot, and the catastrophe.

While the drudgery of impersonal toil can outwardly seem to be meaningless, in Digsite Owain Nicholson effectively shows us that there are endless meaningful visions to be extracted from its practice.

Ayreon’s The Source is excessive in all the right ways JEFF MIJO CULTURE AND EVENTS EDITOR

When I was 11, I went to a friend’s birthday party, and his mom had made the most absurdly sweet cake I’d ever eaten. Chocolate cake, chocolate icing (both a traditional style on top and a heavier kind sandwiched between the layers, more like a fudge sauce for ice cream) with chocolate chips baked in and little chocolates on top. I managed to eat one piece. Some people couldn’t get through theirs without feeling ill. A few poor souls ate two, and regretted it for the rest of the party. It was a wellintentioned dessert for a bunch of sugarhungry kids, but my friend’s mom had overshot the line between decadent and sickening.

There’s a similar line in music, and where it’s drawn will vary from person to person. Ayreon’s newest release, The Source, walks right up to that line without crossing it — an excessive, ridiculous achievement, to be sure, and one that my friend’s mother unfortunately could not reach. It’s decadent, but it’s so delicious.

Ayreon is less a band, and more of a side-project of prolific Dutch artist Arjen Anthony Lucassen. Each Ayreon album is a collaboration of musicians both famous and lesser-known, coming together to perform a long (usually around 90 minute) concept album, with each singer portraying a different character in a complex plot. If nothing else, it’s a fantastic way to find new artists, with most of the guests drawn from prog rock/ metal groups. For The Source, Lucassen brought in vocalists from bands across Europe, the U.S., and even Tunisia, including Nightwish, Dream Theater, and

Epica, most of whom he’d worked with on past albums. The decadence of the music is in these dozen vocalists, a team of guest musicians, and a wide array of instruments played by Lucassen himself, all combined into a crazy, prolonged experience that has to be binged.

Because The Source is so firmly written as a concept album, there’s no point in praising the best songs — although the two CDs are divided into 17 tracks, I cannot strongly enough recommend that you listen to them without skipping through, as every song flows naturally into the next. If you pay attention to the lyrics and try to piece together the story, you’ll get so much more out of this album (or any of Ayreon’s work) than you will from an individual song in isolation.

The plot itself is science fiction. A prequel to Ayreon’s 2008 release 01011001, which told a story that spanned all of humanity’s history from its creation by genetic manipulation to its ultimate destruction, The Source depicts the origins of the humanoid alien race that created humans. (Five of Ayreon’s seven other albums also take place within this overarching framework. Did I mention Lucassen is a pretty ambitious guy?) More specifically, The Source is about an AI who determines the only way to solve the problems caused by this alien “humanity” is to destroy them, so a small selection escape to another planet to start anew.

One of the things about The Source’s writing that may be a little off-putting at first is that, much like 01011001, it seems to present an anti-technology stance.

Lucassen seems to love the idea of pessimistic technological determinism. Science inevitably leads to the downfall of

society, regardless of what anyone does to stop it, and when a new society rises, they make the same mistakes in an endless cycle. Both the story and the theme are reminiscent of the 2004 remake of Battlestar Galactica, although decidedly more lighthearted (despite dealing with the mass extinction of sentient beings). Maybe it’s just the light tone throwing me off, but I don’t think Lucassen is truly in favour of abandoning all technology and returning to nature — he seems to just be interested in writing a fun sci-fi story, and it’s a straightforward but interesting theme

that’s worked well for him in the past.

Overall, the album may not be Ayreon’s best (that distinction goes to either 01011001 or 2004’s The Human Equation, a more personal story about a man in a coma), but it’s a solid third place, and I’ll be listening to it end-to-end on long car trips for years to come. So while Ayreon might cross your personal threshold for decadence and sound like nothing more than show-offish noise and overwrought lyrics trying to tell a cheesy story, to me, Lucassen has baked the perfect musical cake.

19

UPCOMING EVENTS JUNE

1

DEAN BRODY

@ Abbotsford Centre 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM

JUNE

7

CONVOCATION — CEREMONY 3 (FACULTY OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES)

@ Abbotsford Centre 9:30 – 11:30 AM

CONVOCATION — CEREMONY 4 (FACULTY OF SCIENCE, FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES)

@ Abbotsford Centre 2:30 – 4:30 PM

JUNE

2

JUNE

3

ARTIST MEET & GREET: “DELIGHTS” FEATURING SYLVIE ROUSSEL-JANSSENS

@ Chilliwack Community Arts Council 5:30 – 7:00 PM

HERITAGE PICNIC CELEBRATING MISSION’S 125TH BIRTHDAY

@ Fraser River Heritage Park (Mission) 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM

ABORIGINAL ARTS & CULTURE DAY 2017

@ Abbotsford Arts Council 1:00 – 5:00 PM

JUNE

5

JUNE

6

PRESIDENT’S LEADERSHIP LECTURE AND UNVEILING OF UFV’S COAT OF ARMS

@ Aboriginal Gathering Place (UFV Chilliwack) 4:30 – 6:00 PM

CONVOCATION — CEREMONY 1 (FACULTY OF APPLIED & TECHNICAL STUDIES; FACULTY OF ACCESS AND CONTINUING EDUCATION)

@ Abbotsford Centre 9:30 – 11:30 AM

CONVOCATION — CEREMONY 2 (COLLEGE OF ARTS)

@ Abbotsford Centre 2:30 – 4:30 PM

YOU ONLY DIE TWICE - JAMES BOND THEMED MURDER MYSTERY EVENT

@ Clik Coffee Bistro 7:00 – 9:00 PM

ABBOTSFORD POLICE CHALLENGE RUN

@ Mission Library 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM

@ SippChai Cafe 7:00 – 9:00 PM

@ Nature’s Pickin’s Market (Abbotsford) 10:30 AM – 5:30 PM

NOW’S THE TIME (CONCERT)

RED ROAD YOGA — AN ABORIGINAL APPROACH TO YOGA

RIP VAN FINN

BUBBA’ CRUIZE TO THE FIELD (CAR SHOW)

@ The Stage (Mission) 6:00 PM

@ Abbotsford Exhibition Park 8:00 am – 5:00 pm

@ Clearbrook Library 1:30 – 2:30 PM

4

10

5K FOAM FEST 2017

JOHN SCHREINER’S “ICON: FLAGSHIP WINES FROM BC’S BEST WINERIES” (TALK/SIGNING)

JUNE

JUNE

@ Civic Plaza (Abbotsford) 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

JUNE

11 JUNE

14 JUNE

FRASER VALLEY SYMPHONY

@ Matsqui Centennial Auditoriwum 3:00 – 5:00 PM

JUNE

20

NATIONAL ABORIGINAL DAY AWARENESS EVENT

@ UFV Abbotsford 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM

MARK AND MAUREEN FAREWELL BBQ BASH

@ Evered Hall (UFV Abbotsford) 12:30 – 2:30 PM

JUNE

NATIONAL ABORIGINAL DAY

JUNE

RANT & RAISE: AN EVENING WITH RICK MERCER

21 22 JUNE

23 JUNE

24

@ Thunderbird Memorial Square (Abbotsford) 4:00 – 7:00 PM

@ Tradex (Abbotsford) 6:00 – 10:00 PM

DR. MARK EVERED FAREWELL DINNER

@ Quality Hotel & Conference Centre (Abbotsford) 5:30 PM – 9:00 PM

CEDAR WEAVING WORKSHOP

@ Chilliwack Library 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

THE LONESOME TOWN PAINTERS (CONCERT)

@ House of James (Abbotsford) 7:00 – 9:00 PM

JD MINER

17

@ SippChai Cafe 7:00 – 9:00 PM

JUNE

FATHER’S DAY OLD CAR SUNDAY

18

JUNE

BASICALLY BROOKS (CONCERT)

@ The Stage (Mission) 9:00 PM

@ Fraser River Heritage Park 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM FATHER’S DAY WALK FOR PROSTATE CANCER

@ Colonel Roger St John Armoury (Chilliwack) 9:30 AM

PHOENIX FATHER’S DAY BRUNCH

@ Phoenix Ballroom (Abbotsford) 10:00 AM – 1:30 PM

HOSTING ANY EVENTS YOURSELF? WANT TO SEE THEM POSTED HERE? Send the date, time, location, and any relevant info for the event to: jeff@ufvcascade.ca