The Cascade Vol.27 Issue 02 by The Cascade

JANUARY 16 TO JANUARY 22, 2019

VOLUME 27 ISSUE 02

Yeehawin’ since 1993

CASA IN OTTAWA

THE ONLY ADVOCATES WE’VE GOT

pg.3

WATERS GETTING WARM

THAT’S CLIMATE CHANGE FOR YOU

pg. 7

BIRD BOX

ALL THAT MATTERS IS MONEY

pg. 19

pg. 10

GENTRIFICATION who's getting cut out of downtown abbotsford? WWW.UFVCASCADE.CA

VOL. 27 // ISSUE 02

Copy Editor Kat Marusiak kat@ufvcascade.ca

Production Assistant Renée Campbell renee@ufvcascade.ca

Production Assistant Uyen Nguyen uyen@ufvcascade.ca

News Editor Jessica Barclay jessica@ufvcascade.ca

Opinion Editor Jeff Mijo-Burch jeff@ufvcascade.ca

Culture & Events Editor Cassie de Jong cassie@ufvcascade.ca

Features Editor Cat Friesen cat@ufvcascade.ca

Multimedia Editor Mikaela Collins mikaela@ufvcascade.ca

Arts in Review Editor Martin Castro martin@ufvcascade.ca

Illustrator Simer Haer Illustrator Cory Jensen

Sports Writer Alex Jesus Staff Writer Emmaline Spencer

5 10-12

Staff Writer Carissa Wiens

Online Editor Jeff Mijo-Burch jeff@ufvcascade.ca

CONTRIBUTORS Aleister Gwynne Chandy Dancey Scott McQuarrie Cover Artwork: Mikaela Collins Back Cover: Mikaela Collins

WWW.UFVCASCADE.CA

ARTS

Illustrator Kayt Hine

OPINION

Production Manager Elyssa English elyssa@ufvcascade.ca

NEWS

Managing Editor Jessica Barclay jessica@ufvcascade.ca

CONTENTS

FEATURE

Business Manager Quintin Stamler quintin@ufvcascade.ca

Creative Director Joel Robertson-Taylor joel@ufvcascade.ca

CULTURE

Executive Editor (interim) Cat Friesen cat@ufvcascade.ca

18 13.......Events Calendar

Snapshots.......9 Study Break.......17 @UFVCASCADE FACEBOOK.COM/UFVCASCADE INSTAGRAM.COM/UFVCASCADE Volume 27 · Issue 02 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 1,000 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 Monday at 2:30 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 200 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.

18.......CIVL Shuffle

NEWS SUS president meets prime minister.......3

4......Community, excellence, inclusivity, integrity

OPINION Improving the student experience.......6 Dare to reinvent.......8

7.......Editorial 8.......Lights out

CULTURE Events calendar......13

14.......Art battle Abbotsford

Fraser Valley Biennale.......14 SPORTS Men's basketball.......15

16.......Women's basketball ARTS

All's well that ends well.......18

19.......Bird Box

news@ufvcascade.ca Jessica Barclay — News Editor

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2019

NEWS

SUS //

NEWS BRIEFS

SUS president advocates to prime minister in Ottawa as CASA representative

CASA meets with 145 representatives to discuss sexual violence policy, international students, and work integrated learning

Asbestos in Sumas River sparks concern A landslide in Swift Creek, Washington has resulted in increased levels of naturally occurring asbestos and heavy metals in Sumas River. Asbestos can lead to chronic respiratory diseases and lung cancer when inhaled. There are concerns that the asbestos is left behind on the banks of the river and, as the river rises and falls, could become airborne and be inhaled. The river flows through the Sumas First Nation as well as Sumas Prairie, where it is used by farmers to water crops. “Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun said Abbotsford has been asking the Ministry of Environment for assistance on the issue for almost 10 years, but has been told there is ‘insufficient’ evidence of health risks,” reported the Vancouver Sun. -The Vancouver Sun

UN committee warns against construction of Site C A United Nations (UN) anti-discrimination committee warned Canada against the continued construction on the Site C hydroelectric dam in Northern B.C. The letter from the Canadian ambassador to the UN stated that the work will violate a 50-year international agreement on fighting discrimination, and would go against the informed consent of local Indigenous people. “The letter says Canada’s own research suggests the contested dam will cause permanent and irreversible damage to the traditional lands of First Nations,” reported The Canadian Press.

JESSICA BARCLAY Four student representatives, including the Student Union Society (SUS) president Gurvir “G” Gill, had the opportunity this December to meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa to advocate for a defined sexual violence prevention policy standard at universities across Canada. The students are members of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) and the Quebec Student Union (QSU), who perform advocacy work and provide resources for student union [groups] across Canada. Gill sits on the board at CASA as the director of membership. “It was a pretty unique, interesting experience,” Gill said. “I've never met someone so high up in any government, so [I felt] really a little starstruck.” “It was really cool to be part of that meeting and have a chance to not just interact with [Trudeau] one-on-one, but to be able to lobby him as well.” The meeting was part of the group’s advocacy week, where representatives from the associations meet to sit down with representatives in Ottawa. This year, the group met with 145 ministers, members of Parliament, senators, postsecondary stakeholders, and the prime minister. Several broad areas were brought up for discussion in Ottawa. The first was the creation of a standard for sexual violence prevention policies at universities. There is no current federally mandated standard or minimum for sexual violence policies, and most universities have their own varying policy. There is already intention to create a national framework, with the 2018 fed-

eral budget stating $5.5 million will be allotted over five years for the creation of a “harmonized national framework” to address gender-based violence. The government has also stated that starting in 2019, federal funding may be removed from any university not “implementing best practices” concerning sexual violence. Gill acknowledged that the process is already in motion for the creation of a framework by a third-party working group, but said CASA wanted to advocate for a more structured standard. “This was already a little bit in motion, but there's ways to make it better,” Gill said. “Creating a framework versus

million in grants towards student programs, or reallocate research funds so student-based research would be funded at the level it was in 2011. The SUS has been a member of CASA since 2008, and is one of four universities in the association from B.C.: Graduate Student Society UBC Vancouver, Capilano Students' Union, and Camosun College Student Society being the other three. The association has 23 members and represents 280,000 students across Canada. The advocacy work comes at a cost though: CASA’s fee is dependent on the number of full-time equivalents (FTEs) in a society’s membership, or the amount of full-time students UFV would have if the current students’ course loads were added up. With around 7,000 FTEs in 2017/2018 at UFV, the SUS pays a fee of $3.12 per FTE. This totaled over half of their advocacy budget for the 2017/2018 fiscal year, or $27,000. CASA is the only advocacy organization the SUS is a member of. Several years ago, they left the British Columbia Federation of Students (BCFS) after having been one of the founding members. Gill said, however, that the SUS still participates in the group’s advocacy although they don’t pay a fee. He added that while they are not currently part of the group, the SUS board is in favour of joining a provincial student union alliance, but joining an external group would need to be done through a referendum or at an Annual General Meeting (AGM). “So that's something we’re slowly working towards, to joining a provincial group,” Gill said. “We'll still be working with these groups. Proper next step would be to ask the membership to give us that permission to [join].”

“[I felt] really a little starstruck.” a standard is two different things. One's a bit more loose end, and standards, they're more rigid and that's something that we want.” In addition to the sexual violence policy, CASA advocated for a number of other topics relating to Canadian students. For international students, CASA advocated that students on a study permit be allowed to take on full-time internship and co-op positions; something they are currently not able to do. They also advocated for exceptions to be considered under Article 91 for international students trying to navigate the immigration system with the help of university staff. Currently, only authorized individuals can provide advice on immigration matters, which does not include post-secondary staff. CASA also advocated for extending the Work Integrated Learning program to include all students, not just those in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, and for the federal government to either invest $55.9

-The Canadian Press

SUS president meets CASA representatives and Justin Trudeau in Ottawa. (UFV SUS Facebook)

NEWS

VOL. 27 // ISSUE 02

UFV Vision //

Community, excellence, inclusivity, integrity President’s town hall formulates long-term vision for UFV ALEISTER GWYNNE JESSICA BARCLAY UFV president and vice chancellor Joanne MacLean hosted a town hall meeting at the Abbotsford and Chilliwack campuses on Tuesday, Jan. 8 to provide an update on the progress of rewriting UFV’s values and mission statement. Using input from faculty, staff, students, alumni, and others on a digital platform called Thoughtexchange, the administration has set out to create a new set of values and a mission statement that’s clear, concise, easy to remember, and with concrete, attainable goals. At this half-way point in the process, 20 most frequently-mentioned values from the thought exchange have been narrowed down into four core values: community, excellence, inclusivity, and integrity. From this, a three-point mission statement has been drafted: engaging minds, building community, and transforming lives. “There’s more to come on this,” MacLean said. “Putting it out there, it’s not fully formulated yet. This is where we are at this point, at half-time.” At the beginning of her presidency, MacLean announced she would not be conducting a strategic planning overhaul as often occurs with a new president, but instead would be revitalizing UFV’s mission statement and core values. MacLean and others found UFV’s current set of values to be long, involved, and unwieldy. One comment submitted to Thoughtexchange said the existing mission statement “reads like policy and lacks life.” Another stated they didn’t feel UFV’s values were clear enough. There were 651 people who participated in Thoughtexchange, with a total of 916 contributions of ideas on UFV’s mission and values, called “thoughts,” and 20,207 ratings on those thoughts. “I see this as an absolutely pivotal area of activity for the university,” MacLean said. “I’m really pleased about the activity that we’ve had so far from all our constitu-

UFV President Joanne MacLean. (UFV Flickr)

ents and where we are.” “I think that it’s not too soon for us to be thinking of what we want to be next year, and five years from now, and 20 years from now, and 55 years from now.”

going to lead us to look very differently down the road.” MacLean used the 2074 thought-experiment as an illustration of the long-term planning of her administration, which

“The impact of technology and the impact of the world change that we are engaged in on a daily basis from a lot of different factors is going to lead us to look very differently down the road.” MacLean asked attendees at the meeting to close their eyes and imagine what the university might look like in the year 2074 when UFV would be celebrating its 100th anniversary. “You might think ‘No, nothing will change, it will be exactly as it has been.’ But I would contend that likely that is not the case,” MacLean said. “The impact of technology and the impact of the world change that we are engaged in on a daily basis from a lot of different factors is

seeks to create an Institutional Strategic Plan to build what she calls “lasting endurance.” Question period During the question and answer period, questions, comments, and concerns were raised about the drafted set of values and mission statement. One attendee at the Chilliwack meeting raised concerns about the wording of one of the core values, stating that “ensuring our mission is delivered without compro-

mise” mentioned under integrity may be too strong and inflexible. Another online commenter suggested that student responses to the Thoughtexchange should be considered separately to see if the student vision for UFV differs from that of the faculty. When analyzing responses from the Thoughtexchange, no distinction was made between sources; however, MacLean said she would reexamine the results with this in mind. Nearly half of all contributing individuals (49 per cent, 279 persons) were students, according to statistics cited in the presentation. Commenters in Abbotsford discussed broadening one of the value statements on engaging minds to extend beyond intellectual engagement. They considered including emotional engagement as well, and suggested wording such as “engaging the mind.” “Is engaging minds the only thing that we want to do or is there more to that process?” one commenter asked. There was also a small debate in Abbotsford on whether teaching and learning should be included in the statements. One commenter mentioned that teaching and learning are already encompassed by the university’s mandate, a statement of what the university is required to do, and are the core from which the vision and mission statements are built. MacLean said she expects to have UFV’s new values and action plan completed and confirmed by the end of this semester. A second Thoughtexchange is being held from Jan. 8 to 21. The results of the exchange will be published on Feb. 1. Open workshops will be held from Feb. 4 to 8, which will be followed by the final review and confirmation process which is expected to conclude on April 4. Anyone wishing to see the town hall presentation or contribute to the new thought exchange can do so at visioning@ufv.ca

OPINION

opinion@ufvcascade.ca Jeff Mijo-Burch — Opinion Editor

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2019

Lifestyle //

Veg good, milk bad? Canadian government creates new nutritional guide ALEISTER GWYNNE The Canadian federal government will release a new nutritional guide for Canadians early this year, containing many changes from the previous version. The new nutritional guide is not yet confirmed, but a sample version used in focus groups reveals details about what it will contain and how it is organized. The familiar “food rainbow” of the previous guide sorted foods into one of four categories: grain products, fruit and vegetables, dairy and alternatives, and meat and alternatives. This will apparently be done away with in the new guide, according to the focus group document, with plant-based foods given greater emphasis, meat further reduced in importance, and dairy nearly eliminated. This preview has attracted the ire of Agriculture Canada, and dairy and livestock industry lobbyists who take issue with the new guide recommending plant-based proteins as a substitute for meat and dairy. The lobbyists claim that this will hurt Canada’s agricultural industries, which are allegedly already suffering from recent foreign trade concessions. They also fear

that the new guide will create “confusion” about the healthiness of dairy products, according to a statement mentioned by ***Global News. Despite this, Health Canada has vowed to rely solely on independent and internationally-recognized nutritional studies as the basis for the new guide, which has been in the making for some years now. It is comforting and gratifying to see a government willing to put the health of their citizens above satisfying private industry interests, especially when that government is our own. I for one applaud Health Canada’s willingness to stick to their guns and not allow the lobbyists to dictate policy. That being said, I sense there is more at work here than mere nutrition. Cultivating livestock is much more resource-intensive than doing the same with crops, in part because additional crops must be grown to feed the livestock. Methane expelled by farm animals, especially cows, is also believed to be a major source of greenhouse gases. In addition, animal feces can seep into groundwater supplies, resulting in contamination. In this time of resource shortages, climate change, and environmental degradation, I suspect the guide’s recommendations are designed at least in part to reduce demand for foodstuffs that are environmentally costly to produce. Mult ic ult uralism and inclusivity may also play a role. It occurs to me that the assumptions of the old guide are somewhat Eurocentric. European cuisine (especially northern European) traditionally makes heavy use of meat and dairy, and so Europeans have developed a tolerance for highfat foodstuffs. Among most East

Illustration by Cory Jensen

Asian peoples by contrast, lactose intolerance is the norm rather than the exception. A meta analysis conducted of 62,910 participants from 89 countries found that 64 per cent of those in Asia experienced trouble absorbing lactose, as opposed to 4-30 per cent in Northern and Western Europe. The new food guide may be an attempt to be more aware and inclusive of those with dietary restrictions (such as allergies, religious taboos, etc.) since plant-based foods are generally a safer bet in these situations. With regard to nutrition itself, the dairy farmers may have a point about confusion. The part of the guide revealed to the public listed specific foodstuffs that one ought to consume on a regular basis, but it gives no indication of how much of each is recommended. Also, meat and dairy are not necessarily unhealthy. Milk is an excellent source of calcium, and certain nutrients like iron and vitamin B12 can be difficult to acquire without resorting to eating meat.

Conversely, plant-based foods are not always healthy. Gluten from grain products is known to cause problems, especially, but not exclusively, for those allergic to it. In the end, I don’t think the new food guide will have much influence on the foods we eat. Our food choices seem to have more to do with personal preferences, cultural tradition, and the cost and availability of ingredients. Where the new guide will likely have the most impact is in how we see our food, and our concept of a balanced diet. My generation was taught to classify food into the four basic groups (with possibly a fifth for junk food), and that as a rule of thumb, one should try to consume some of each on a regular basis in order to lead a healthy lifestyle. The new nutritional guide will change those assumptions and the way we look at food, if not what we actually eat.

OPINION

VOL. 27 // ISSUE 02

Community //

Five small changes to make UFV way better Improving the student experience

Illustration by Cory Jensen

JEFF MIJO-BURCH It’s a new year, and society tells us that’s a time for reflection, so let’s reflect. The pages of The Cascade have played host to many complaints about UFV over the years — some huge and important, others trivial or impractical to address. But in honour of the arbitrary division between one year and the next, here are five small, practical, and cheap ways that UFV and the Student Union Society (SUS) can improve the quality of life for students. A more robust events calendar. While The Cascade’s events calendar is a fantastic resource to find out what’s going on in our community, sometimes you just want a big list of what’s happening at UFV. Did you know that the school has its own events calendar? It’s helpful, but limited — much of the calendar is filled with advising workshops, UFV-hosted large events like lectures and blood drives, and events from UFV International. But it would be great for fostering campus community if this calendar was pushed more to the forefront. Anyone can submit their own items, but most events

on campus organized by clubs, organizations, and even smaller SUS goings-on are advertised only on social media and sometimes with posters. So if you’re having an event, submit it! And if you’re UFV, tell people that this page exists and that they should use it! What’s on the menu? UFV has a fair amount of food options on campus (unless you’re taking evening classes, but that’s a whole different article), but what it doesn’t have is information about those options, particularly in the cafeteria. The SUS-run Fair Grounds has its menu helpfully posted online, as did the Canoe when it was open. Tim Hortons and Triple O’s are big chains so you know what to expect. But if you want to find out what’s available in the cafeteria, or how much it costs, you’re out of luck. The dining services page lists the hours, but no info on the actual food offered, other than a suggestion to “Follow UFV Food Services on Twitter for daily menu suggestions and healthy food options” with no link to said Twitter — and it doesn’t even seem to exist anymore. Even with a changing

menu, a list of the staples available all the time and their prices, and a post on social media each morning with the day’s menu would help inform budget- and health-conscious students who may be debating where to get their lunch. Editor’s note: just before publishing this article, an @UFVeats Twitter account appeared and shared the week’s cafeteria menu. Good on them for taking that initiative before even seeing this article! Time to patch the price match. UFV’s bookstore certainly does booming business at this time of the semester, but it’s no secret that students also turn to online sources to buy and sell their textbooks, often at far lower prices and without needing to wait in long lines. To combat this, the bookstore offers price matching with online sellers (limited to Amazon.ca, Chapters Indigo, or other Canadian university bookstores). But here’s the catch: unlike any other retail business, these price matches are not applied at the time of purchase. If you want to get that textbook for $30 less, you have to buy it at full price, and submit a form request-

ing the match. The online seller has to maintain its lower price for the up to seven days it takes for the bookstore to review it, and UFV has the right to “refuse a price match at any time.” That sounds like a lot of paperwork and stress to get a book at the same price it’s available for online. UFV isn’t the only university to handle price matching this way (Kwantlen’s policy is similar) but it’s not the only way — Simon Fraser University offers its students/customers immediate price matches. Price matching policies exist for a reason: discounted business is better than no business. Making the process easy and immediate would keep students buying directly, rather than taking their business elsewhere. Put the shuttle back. The shuttle buses shouldn’t stop on the opposite side of campus from the city buses. Move the Baker House dropoff. There’s an indent in the sidewalk in front of Baker House / the bookstore big enough for a few cars to pull over. While it’s

convenient for those living on campus, it’s also a safety hazard for those walking on campus. With people’s open car doors sticking out into the road, trunks blocking visibility, and sometimes buses or semi-trucks parked there, visibility of the crosswalks on either side of the parking spots can be abysmal. The fact that this is at the entrance to the Abbotsford campus’s largest continuous parking lot is just an accident waiting to happen, especially at the start of the semester when the bookstore is packed and the crosswalks are busy. Removing this dropoff spot and having those with quick business in Baker House park in the 30 minute bookstore parking lot nearby could save someone from a serious injury or death.

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2019

Editorial //

I know I complain about cold oceans, but this isn’t what I want CAT FRIESEN Oceans are warming at an alarming rate, according to an article on ScienceDaily. In 2018, the oceans were recorded as being the warmest they’ve ever been, as they were in 2017, 2016, and 2015. The Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, Phase 5 (CMIP5), a collaborative effort created at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California designed to increase knowledge of climate change, calculates that ocean temperatures will rise by 0.78 degrees Celsius before the end of the century, increasing sea levels by 30 centimetres. This, plus glaciers melting at an increasing rate means even higher sea levels. Since about 93 per cent of extra solar energy trapped by the atmosphere ends up trapped in the oceans, they are heating and rising at an increasing rate, meaning oceanic species are being affected, and the rise in sea level is contributing to coastal flooding, as well as an increase in frequency and strength of tropical storms. But these aren’t the only problems: increased greenhouse gas emissions leads to changing migration patterns in animals (birds migrate later in the season), changes in dates of plants’ activity (flowers bloom earlier in the season), the atmosphere itself is heating up (causing this lovely ocean heating and glacier melting), and extremes in weather are increasing (occurrences of lightning and hurricanes have increased in the last few years). So, what can you do about the increase in greenhouse gas emissions? Choose renewable energy, take transit or bike to work/school, consume less items (less items = less packaging making its way into landfills), reduce the amount of meat you’re eating. Unfortunately, the problem is that most greenhouse gas emissions come from big companies. According to the CDP Carbon Majors Report 2017, a publication that draws from The Carbon Majors

Database (which collects info on greenhouse gas emissions created by companies), they’re tracking 100 fossil fuel companies who, at present, have emitted more than 923 billion tonnes of CO2. Some of the top companies include Suncor, Husky, Petrobas, Chevron, and Lukoil. Most of the responsibility rests on the shoulders of these companies. So why aren’t they doing anything? Well, they are — sort of. According to an article in the Guardian, 81 per cent of the world’s 500 largest companies have set goals to reduce their emissions. However, what these goals are and how they believe they’ll enact them aren’t clear. What I find most disheartening about climate change is that we’ve known about our contribution to it for years. According to the Guardian, precise measurements of carbon dioxide were taken in 1958; in the 1960s, computer models of global climate change confirmed that greenhouse gases do affect the climate; in the 1980s, global temperatures began their steady rise; and, as of 2018, 16 out of 17 of the warmest years on record have occurred since 2001. I don’t understand why it’s taken this long for anyone to realize that, yeah, climate change is very real and very scary. There’s been evidence of it for years, yet only in the past decade or so, when the evidence of it has become too big to ignore, that people start to say “Maybe we should do something about it” when we should have done something a long time ago. Hindsight is 20/20 and all that, but maybe it’s not too late to turn this around. We can do what we can (go green as much as possible), but it’s the companies that need to step in, cut their losses, and do their part. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to see my favourite beaches swallowed up because we (society, large companies) took too long to do something about it.

ﬁll a gap in your program

Athabasca University has over 850 courses to choose from to meet your needs and courses start every month. AU has over 6,600 transfer agreements around the world (including with this institution).

OPINION

VOL. 27 // ISSUE 02

Lifestyle //

Community //

Dare to reinvent self-care Lights out It isn’t all about ice cream and napping CHANDY DANCEY With the dawn of 2019 comes the creation of New Year’s resolutions, one of which might be to up your level of self-care this semester. As students, we’ve been overloaded with the idea of self-care and incorporating it into our daily routine, and it’s with good reason. We work, we learn, we study, and somewhere in the mix we forget to concentrate that same dedication inward to take care of ourselves. The image of self-care is often advertised as eating a bowl of ice cream, running a bubble bath, or burning some scented candles — all of which are great ways to unwind. Something gets lost in this fluffy fantasy though, and there comes a point where the practicality of constantly indulging yourself is questioned. This year I’d like to showcase a different perspective on selfcare in hopes of encouraging others to seriously consider incorporating it into their lives going forward. Self-care seems pretty selfexplanatory; it’s simply caring for oneself, right? Instead of approaching it with the idea that it only means spoiling yourself, look at it as a holistic and individual process. Rather than focusing only on rewarding yourself, think also about what action could be put forth to improve your quality of life. For some, self-care might be doing the dishes you’d rather avoid so you can study with peace of mind. For others it might be forcing yourself to go to the gym when you know you need it and you’d be better for it. It could even be pushing yourself to prep your lunch and breakfast the night before to alleviate the stress of the early morning dash. On the other hand, it could very well be deciding to take a break to relax even when you want to keep overloading yourself. Look internally and assess your needs. If

you’re stressed about an assignment there’s validity in taking a break to ground yourself, but there also comes the time when you need to sit down and put in the work, even if you may not want to. Ask yourself this: what’s something that would improve your life in 2019 that you’ve been putting off? Working towards that in the new year could be equally important to your comfort and well-being as creating time to enjoy the finer things in life. I won’t sugar coat it; sometimes the practice of self-care can be putting yourself in new and uncomfortable situations, like the pursuit of a new friendship or a volunteer position. Never lose sight of the growth and progress that stem from discomfort though, and remember that it’s also never too late in the semester to hop back on the train of selfcare.

Power outage survival guide

Illustration by Cory Jensen

EMMALINE SPENCER Rosy shades. (Mikaela Collins)

Don’t get me wrong, plenty of workaholic students need to learn to schedule breaks throughout their week to unwind, but there are other ways you can take care of yourself moving forward if that isn’t practical. It’s undeniable that at some point in the semester you won’t be blessed with enough funds or time to go all out treating yourself, but the implementation of self-care can be small and routine. Redefine what self-care means for you this year, and work on how you can bring all aspects of it into your everyday life in realistic and tangible ways.

The power goes out and the stir-crazy settles after just five minutes in this silence. No television, no lights, no computer, and no way of powering any technology. The boredom of having our easy-access entertainment taken away leaves us wandering around in the dark trying to figure out what to do. How do we modern folk survive such a catastrophe? In the wake of the recent major power outage, caused by winds with a high of 100 km/h, nearly 21,800 people were left in the dark. It’s clear not everyone is prepared for when electricity goes out. Many of us have become accustomed to having simple things readily available. After the power goes out, the first thing a person needs to do is find some candles or flashlights — you still need to be able to see even when the light switches don’t work. Be careful not to use your phone flashlight too long; the battery of a cell phone doesn’t last forever. Once you’ve found some sort of light source, let’s focus on retaining your sanity. It’s good to have some activities to do that don’t require electricity, such as some card games to play with friends and family or a good book to read. And if you still have to finish that 4,000-word essay, you can write it out by hand until the power comes back. At some point, depending on how long the power outage is, you’re going to get hungry and need food. If you have a camping stove or barbecue, your life isn’t going to change that much at all. However, for the rest of us who don’t have either of those items, creativity is needed. During a power outage you can’t stare into the fridge for five minutes figuring

out what you want to eat. Instead think about what will go bad first. Milk will go bad first, so it’s best to make use of it by having a bowl of cereal. If you have any raw meat, you should probably move that to the freezer, just in case. Many of the options you’ll be left with are things like making a salad or a sandwich. After the perishables, stick to granola bars and other cabinet snacks you might take camping. Camping food is a lot like what you can eat during a power outage since in both scenarios you don’t have electricity, generally. Let’s say it has been 24 hours and the power has still yet to turn back on. This is where the dry shampoo and deodorant come into play. A hot shower isn’t an option since you will have a limited amount of hot water available, if any. Greasy hair? Dry shampoo is a quick fix. Smelling gross? Get a wet hand towel and wipe yourself down and use deodorant. Just because the power is gone doesn’t mean we need to smell like we’ve been holed up in a dark room for a day. These are all simple ways of making the best of a power outage. A power outage can be a good time if you are prepared and remember that there are other things outside of those little devices we spend so much of our time on. During the next power outage, kick back, read a book, and watch the other people go crazy trying to find somewhere to charge their phone.

BRIEF BITS OF BITE-SIZED BREVITY

SN S AP HO TS

Repulsive residue Picture this: week one of your semester went swimmingly, you have a small bit of extra money in the bank, and you feel like treating yourself to one of those fancy (and pricey) stainless steel UFV water bottles available in the bookstore. You know, the kind that keeps your beverage hot or cool for all eternity? You buy one, you bring it home, and begin to strip off all the price tags and related paraphernalia, until you happen upon a rather large sticker on the bottom of the bottle. It is at this point that you real-

CURTAILED COMMENTARY ON CURRENT CONDITIONS

Beautiful British Columbia ize, “Shit, it’s one of those stickers.” The kind that no matter how careful or precise you are when removing it, will come off in no less than 10 or 12 pieces, and the sticky residue left behind will continue to crust your pinky when you hold the bottle for weeks if not months to come. Is there a way to rid yourself of this noxious nightmare? Perhaps, but only if you have an extra six hours and an entire bottle of Goo Gone to spend.

Cassie de Jong

I’ve moved over 10 times and have lived in five provinces and one state, from eastern to western North America, and I have to say, the Fraser Valley is my favourite. So last semester, my love for the province inspired me to take a third-year biology course on the biogeographical zones of B.C., and some of the great plethora of plants and animals that call it home. I’m not going to lie, the course load was pretty heavy — so much to memorize — but it made me appreciate living here even more. B.C. is rich in biological diversity, including species not found anywhere else in the world. It

boasts some of the rarest biomes on Earth, such as part of the Pacific temperate rainforest, which covers only ~0.6 per cent of the planet. Our topography allows for a wide range of different biomes, including wet coastal climates, valley grasslands, boreal forests, northern tundra, and more. Living here, one can easily become used to the surroundings and not notice/consider them as much; I hope this small reminder helps you feel a little more lucky to be in this very unique and beautiful land!

Kat Marusiak

2019 should be the ‘year of the rematch’ for MMA Let’s face it, mixed martial arts fans: we’re spoiled. The UFC has separated itself from the model of boxing, where the fights we want don’t always happen right away. When we think about 2019 and the premier matchups available, many of them are sequels. UFC 229’s main event, Khabib Nurmagomedov versus Conor McGregor was by far the largest commercial success in terms of pay-per-view numbers, while UFC 225 featured a rematch between Robert Whittaker and Yoel Romero that many felt was one of the most competitive and intense fights in recent middleweight history. You could

run both of those fights back, as well as many others. Which do I lean towards? Conor McGregor versus Nate Diaz. Given that Conor was submitted in his previous contest, and Nate is still coming off his close decision loss to McGregor back in August of 2016, it’s never been a better time. Before UFC 229’s record-shattering night (which McGregor was also a part of), two of the most successful nights in company history were these two’s previous clashes (UFC 196 and 202). Come on, Dana.

Alex Jesus

The hierarchy of chocolate It baffles me that some people consider milk chocolate to be superior to white or even dark chocolate. Dark chocolate is obviously at the top of the heap. Its rich, intense flavour is the culmination of what chocolate is and should be. Next is white chocolate. Yes, that’s right, white. It has a light creamy flavour that makes a nice counterpoint to the rich, earthy tone of dark chocolate. I honestly can’t see why some people don’t like it. However, I am not saying

that milk chocolate is the worst. Good milk chocolate is lovely, but it does not have the great flavour of the extremes of white and dark. Bottom rank goes to American chocolate, which might call itself any of the above, but in my opinion doesn’t qualify because it lacks any real creaminess or richness, and it has so much sugar in it that it will make your teeth scream.

Aleister Gwynne

Downtown Abbotsford

Changes The city proposes changes downtown favouring upper middle class over others By: Carissa Wiens

ver the past five years Abbotsford’s Historic Downtown has experienced significant changes, mostly with new businesses setting up shop in the area that have replaced the derelict buildings that once stood there. Starting in 2016, the City of Abbotsford constructed and proposed a revamp of the entire city to take place in the next few years as the city aims to grow to 200,000 citizens. A big part of this plan, titled Plan for 200K, focuses on the downtown area of Abbotsford. This Official Community Plan (OCP) of the downtown area will surely affect the citizens of the city as the downtown core of Abbotsford will experience rapid gentrification. With 6,271 participants, the City conducted extensive surveys and research to determine how to provide a positive growth for the downtown neighbourhood. Four themes were highly favoured in the city’s research for the downtown development: streets with patios, small-scale retail, and seating; the historical character to be preserved and complemented and/ or replicated in the new development; outdoor activities and festivals to continue and grow; and natural elements such as greenways, trails, and street trees to be included as well. Before all of these plans came to be, or trendy businesses had begun to set up shop in the area, downtown Abbotsford was not known to be a place to grab a $9.00 cold-pressed juice or to spend the afternoon at like it is now. Those who grew up in the area remember downtown as the location of the terrify-

ing life-like gorilla in front of the vacuum/pawnshop. Already in 2009 the Fraser Valley Inn was converted into a community living area providing affordable housing for young professionals which is still being used for this purpose today: Attangard. Unfortunately this community-based headquarters is being threatened by the OCP. The OCP proposes a multi-level mid-rise filled with apartments and shops to take the building’s place, causing the Attanguard community to become obsolete. We already are able to see that the city is rejecting community-based projects which favour students and those of lower income to gain more money through shopping and sleek apartments for higher rent. Before Attangard settled into the downtown area, Tracy Cakes Cafe opened up shop in 2006, according to their website. They’ve been on trend from the very beginning by using quality coffee beans from Timbertrain Roasters in Vancouver, along with creating all food items, like finger sandwiches, pastries, and of course, cupcakes (which all can be made gluten free) in house. To follow them is Spruce Collective: a curated shop full of nick-nacks and home goods you probably don’t need but desperately want because they’re trendy as hell, like rosemary-scented soy candles and and cookbooks on how to use more lemons in your food, run by locals Lily Ellis and Monica Klein for the past six years. These two businesses were the first ones to break ground in the Historical Downtown for making it cool to be in the downtown area.

the city is rejecting community-based projects which favour students and those of lower income. “We were drawn to the character of the historic Downtown and to be honest, it never even crossed our minds to open a store elsewhere! Since we opened in 2012, more and more small businesses have opened alongside us and we can’t imagine that we could ever hope to feel the same sense of community in a strip mall or elsewhere,” Ellis states over email.

ollowing Tracy Cakes and Spruce Collective, Duft & Co., Bown & Stern, and Oldhand set up shop on the same streets. Oldhand’s original location on S. Fraser Way and Clearbrook was right beside the Value Village, Dollarama, Liquor Barn, and several Indian sweet shops. It seems that these neighbours didn’t provide Oldhand with the aesthetic they were hoping to foster because only two years after their opening, they moved downtown to join their like-minded friends. According to their Instagram, the company switched locations because the one on Pauline St. was the location they originally hoped to start in. Another trendy downtown business is Fieldhouse Brewing. This brewery opened up in 2016 labeling themselves as being in “East Abby,” which yes, they are. But I wonder if Abbotsford is big enough to separate ourselves into different sections like Vancouver. I’ve always thought that Abbotsford had the small town vibes (because it’s too easy to run into someone you graduated high school with at the grocery store), so the company’s label surprised me back when they opened. I wonder why Fieldhouse chose to identify with just one part of the city instead of the whole city? Since Fieldhouse is such a powerful force in the downtown community, other businesses are following the brewery’s moves. With Oldhand, Polly Fox, Iron Cycle, Yes Chef, and many other new kids on the block all promoting each other on their social media accounts, they are creating an elitist environment. With Fieldhouse choosing to only identify with one part of Abbotsford, the others are choosing to only identify with one part of Abbotsford too: the upper middle class people who have enough money to purchase their products and services as well as those who have the same taste as the storefronts. According to downtown Abbotsford’s website, 17 new businesses have appeared in the Historic Downtown Abbotsford in 2018, some of them being the HABIT Project, Meat & Bread, Yes Chef, and Bureaux, who all seem to take part in

bureaux + modern mercantile yes chef The Polly Fox

noodle box

this exclusivity that is clearly exampled by Fieldhouse; one is able to simply walk down their streets and see their polished shopfronts identifying themselves as “modern merchants” or offering spin classes at $20 a pop. Surprisingly, 96 per cent of participants through the online survey voted for the city to put their top priority in downtown for the shopping. This was voted higher than preserving the historical content or the natural elements, though these two were not far behind. Right from this survey result we can see that the citizens of Abbotsford are affected by the downtown businesses’ goals (to create an elitist environment through their hip and eclectic offers) and want to encourage this as well by deeming shopping to be of the utmost importance for the area. “People come first in this human-scaled, dynamic neighbourhood,” the OCP states, adding that the sidewalks and plazas they hope to embellish will provide “a stage for rich public life.” If they claim that people come first in the downtown development, why is the homeless population that is present in and around the downtown area not mentioned in the OCP at all? The city takes a lot of space in the OCP to describe their hopes for the newly developed buildings and storefronts. They state that buildings will now be built further back in the property to add more sidewalk space, awnings and shading should be included, traditional architecture circa 1920s should be present, and historic signage should be included as well. All of the new developments downtown will now follow the Development Permit Guidelines in order to preserve the historic atmosphere. Good for Abbotsford in wanting to preserve the historic content of the downtown area, but it seems that if the OCP is going to use six out of the 22 pages to discuss the appearance of buildings and how they’re going to create “people-centred streets,” couldn’t there have been a sliver of planning for how to make all people, even those with a lower income that can’t afford a multi-course brunch, enjoy and feel welcomed on the “people-centred streets”? I understand that the stated goal of the OCP is to help businesses downtown to flourish and to provide a safe and healthy place for people to come together as a community while taking pride in the history of downtown, but the OCP seems to only reflect the thought of local business owners and their consumers.

little brother

van bree tattoo

i - lead abby

vintelier

iron cycle club

heroes for sale comics dwntwn abby pop up space once upon a thai

The habit project

peace & harmony naturals

new adba offices

meat + bread

the ocp seems to only reflect the thought of local business owners and their consumers. If these changes take place over the next five to 10 years, the homeless population that often resides in Jubilee Park and near the end of Gladys Road will be pushed away even further than they already have been by the city. (Remember the chicken manure incident where, under the leadership of Bruce Banman, the city had chicken manure spread over homeless camps in Abbotsford?) If an incident like that already occured in 2013 when the OCP wasn’t even proposed yet, I wonder how much worse things can get when the OCP is put into action and if the homeless choose not to move for the sake of polished greenways. Of course there is still some good in our city towards the homeless population. The Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) built their new headquarters right across the street from the homeless camp on Gladys Road several years ago. With this set up, the humanitarian organization often provides community barbeques to those who are hungry along with their New Foundations program which helps new immigrants navigate through life in a new country. When the Boardwalk Games Cafe opened up a little while ago they donated many passes to youth involved at the Cyrus Centre to come and have a safe space to hang out. Even if Fieldhouse chose to

identify with East Abby, they still made a point to give customers gift cards in exchange for sleeping bags to be donated to the Cyrus Centre. These initiatives are not the only things aiding those in need downtown, but they are two outreaches from business who have recently planted their seeds in the downtown. These days we are all urged to “shop local” from others on Insta, but this year I challenge you to rethink the idea of shop local. Of course there are many local businesses who are paying their workers fairly while delivery a quality product, but it seems that those who have invaded the space of the homeless in downtown Abbotsford are using their resources to support other businesses like themselves instead of helping those who are struggling and could really benefit from it. From the big city of Vancouver, us Abbotsfordians have often been told we don’t do enough to support those in need in our community. With the OCP in its fourth and final stage before the city council’s first reading in a few weeks, we are now a city that is promoting gentrification in the downtown area by clearly showing we care more about polished storefronts and aesthetically pleasing streets than the homeless.

LEGEND:

The Cascade

Community Events are in UFV Events are in Music Events are in Art Events are in Cultural Events are in

Jan 16

Coffee with AbbyPD @ Afterthoughts (Abbotsford), 9:30 - 11:00 a.m. Bob Ross Paint Night @ Student Life Lounge (Abbotsford Campus), 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Life Drawing Studio: Instructor Jesse Klassen @ House of Fine Arts (Abbotsford), 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Jan 17

Note:

Blue Green Red Purple Yellow

Some of these events require tickets, most are on Facebook. If something catches your eye, take to the internet for more details.

Jan 23

Sexualized Violence Prevention Lunch & Learn: Forensic Nursing at ARH @ Evered Hall (Abbotsford Campus), 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Jan 24

Paint N’ Take Acrylics w/ Nan @ House of Fine Art (Abbotsford), 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Healthy Eating on a Budget @ Clearbrook Library (Abbotsford), 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Presidents Leadership Lecture Series presents Dr. Strang Burton: Revitalization of the Indigenous Languages @ Gathering Place CEP A1457 (Chilliwack Campus), 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Writer in Residence Welcome @ Room B121 (Abbotsford Campus), 12:00 - 12:30 p.m.

Lauren Mann @ Field House Brewing (Abbotsford), 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.

Chilliwack U-Join @ Building A (Chilliwack Campus), 11:00 - 2:00 p.m.

David Ivan Neil, The Hague, and guests @ Carport Manor (Abbotsford), 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. Bottom Shelf 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.

Bourbon

Tractorgrease

Cafe

(Chilliwack),

Jan 18

Dream Catchers w/ Esther Huber @ House of Fine Art (Abbotsford), 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Vancouver Motorcycle Show @ Tradex (Abbotsford), 12:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Art Battle Abbotsford @ Abbotsford Arts Centre, 6:30 - 10:30 p.m. TOPAZ live @ Captain’s Cabin Pub (Mission), 8:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.

Jan 19

B.C.’s Largest 3D Indoor Archery: 25th Year @ Abbotsford Agrifair, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Atangard Skill Share: Kombucha with David @ Atangard Community Project (Abbotsford), 11:00 a.m. Coast Salish Weaving w/ Esther @ House of Fine Art (Abbotsford), 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 2nd Annual Fraser Valley Marches for Women @ 9046 Young Rd (Chilliwack), 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Vancouver Motorcycle Show @ Tradex (Abbotsford), 12:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Ladies Self Defence Seminar @ Excel Martial Arts (Abbotsford), 3:00 - 4:30 p.m.

Farmteam @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 7:00 - 10:00 p.m. First Nations and Friends Comedy Night @ Corky’s Irish Pub (Chilliwack), 8:00 - 10:00 p.m.

Brandon Isaak and his Saints of Swing @ The Railyard (Mission), 10:00 - 11:00 p.m.

Jan 20

B.C.’s Largest 3D Indoor Archery: 25th Year @ Abbotsford Agrifair, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Introduction to Digital Photography With Chris Klein @ SPARK art collective (Mission), 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Vancouver Motorcycle Show @ Tradex (Abbotsford), 12:00 - 3:00 p.m. Beginner Calligraphy Workshop @ Highstreet (Abbotsford), 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Jan 22

UFV History Department Film Series: Rulers and Rebels “Justinian and Theodora” @ Room B121 (Abbotsford Campus), 2:00 - 4: 00 p.m.

Next Generation Marketers @ Evered Hall (Abbotsford Campus), 5:30 - 8:00 p.m.

Jan 25

Alumni Night at the UFV Cascades @ Envision Athletic Centre (Abbotsford Campus), 6:00 - 10:00 p.m. Meditation Class @ Two Dragons Tai Chi Academy (Abbotsford), 7:00 p.m. Dark Shades Event: Video Release in Support of SARA for Women @ The Reach Gallery Museum (Abbotsford), 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Whitey

Tractorgrease

Cafe

(Chilliwack),

7:00

10:00

p.m.

Jan 26

Abbotsford Family Literacy Day @ The Reach Gallery Museum (Abbotsford), 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Paint a Heron in Watercolours w/ Glenn @ House of Fine Art (Abbotsford), 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. Red Haven @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.

Jan 27

Yoga & Music @ Old Yale Brewing (Chilliwack), 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Jan 28

Introduction to Silversmithing for Adults: the Versatile Pend @ SPARK art collective (Mission), 6:30 - 9:30 p.m.

Jan 29

Learn to Draw @ 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

The

Reach

Gallery

Museum

(Abbotsford),

Graphic Design Program Info Night @ UFV Mission Campus Room TBA, 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Jan 30 Blind

Date

Chilliwack

Cultural

Centre,

7:30

10:00

p.m.

Jan 31

Art History Course: The Human Form in Art Across the Ages @ The Reach Gallery Museum (Abbotsford), 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Mental Health Awareness Club Pub Night Fundraiser @ The Canadian Brewhouse & Grill (Abbotsford), 6:00 - 10:00 p.m. Celtic Night with Murphy’s Lagh @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.

ID & Name Change Workshop @ Chilliwack Gender Support Network, 6:30 - 10:00 p.m.

CULTURE

VOL. 27 // ISSUE 02

culture@ufvcascade.ca Cassie de Jong — Culture Editor

Event Preview //

The debut exhibition of the 2019 Fraser Valley Biennale kicks off at the Kariton Art Gallery

Art Battle Abbotsford: brushing aside the competition

A strong start to a year of art

Three art battles coming to Abbotsford in 2019 SCOTT MCQUARRIE

Kariton Art Gallery Biennale. (David Myles)

CASSIE DE JONG On a chilly Saturday evening in early January, a quiet little gallery nestled on the bank of Mill Lake in Abbotsford suddenly became not so quiet when it hosted the first installment of 2019’s Fraser Valley Biennale. The biennale has been a recurring event since 2011, and has connected the art being produced in our local community to the broader contemporary art community in Canada. The Kariton Art Gallery is headquarters for the Abbotsford Arts Council (AAC), an organization known for its extensive involvement in local arts and culture. This makes it a fitting starting point for this year’s migrating show. A biennale can be defined as a large art exhibition or festival usually held every two years in celebration of both art and artists. In the Fraser Valley’s case, our recurring biennale travels across the Valley and back over the course of a year, visiting many different participating galleries along the way. The next stop for the show will be opening at Kent Harrison Arts Council (KHAC) on Sunday, Mar. 3 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Other participating galleries include the O’Connor Group Gallery (hosted by the Chilliwack Visual Artist Association) showing from June 6 to 29, and the Rock Family Gallery (hosted by the Mission Arts Council) showing from July 20 to Aug. 17. The biennale will conclude at The Reach Gallery Museum in Abbotsford, in a major exhibition that will be on display from Oct. 3 straight through until the new year, to Jan. 5, 2020. A few individuals affiliated with UFV have work present within the show. These individuals include

Fiona Howarth, who graduated from UFV’s Bachelor of Arts program in 2006; UFV BFA program advisor Paula Funk who graduated with a BFA from UFV in 2008; and visual arts professor Christopher Friesen, who is also the past president of the Abbotsford Arts Council. Other notable names who currently have work on display at the Kariton include Sharon W. Huget, Linda Nikkel Klippenstein, Dan Lefebvre, Patricia Peters, and more. The biennale as a whole is orchestrated by Adrienne Fast, curator of art and visual culture at The Reach. Fast was responsible for determining which artists would have work on display at the Kariton, as well as the remaining galleries. All accomplished artists who reside in the Fraser Valley region, from Hope to Langley, may submit work. In order to ensure that the biennale is celebrating the most current work of Fraser Valley artists, only pieces that have been produced in the last two years (2017-2018 inclusive) are accepted. The works must also be deemed original visual work in order to make it into the exhibition. The previous biennale, held in 2017, included over 20 artists from around the region. It was considered a huge success, and was very well attended. Hopes for an equally successful year for 2019 resonate in the minds of participants and organizers alike, especially in the wake of such a strong start. The work currently on display at the Kariton is an eclectic mix of a wide variety of mediums, effectively showcasing the creativity of the Fraser Valley community. This exhibition will remain on display at the Kariton until Feb. 5, 2019.

Competitive heats, live battles, countdowns, and spectator judges. These aren’t terms normally associated with art — until now. Welcome to Art Battle International, a unique form of competitive painting. Twelve local artists will face off against each other in three rounds of live painting. The artists will be given a blank canvas, paint, and 20 minutes to produce their piece. The audience will be free to wander and observe each painter at work. They will also be the judges, voting at the end of each round by paper ballot or, new this year, by text. The top two artists in each of the two heats will face off in the final round to decide the victor. All 16 paintings created during the course of the event will be put on display for silent auction at the end of the evening. All proceeds from the event will go to the Abbotsford Arts Council (AAC) in support of upcoming public events, including Mill Lake Music and Jam in Jubilee. There will be three art battles in Abbotsford this spring leading up to the regional finals in Vancouver this summer. The regional winner will be invited to compete in the national finals in Toronto against winners from across Canada. The last series of art battles in Abbotsford were put on together by the AAC, MODA Events, and UFV’s own CIVL Radio between 2014 and 2016. This year’s event is presented by the Abbotsford Arts Council. CIVL Radio is chipping in for the

$150 first prize and live music by Mission’s dj elixir, winner of the 2018 Fraser Valley Music Awards electronic category. Art Battle in its current form was created by Chris Pemberton and Simon Plashkes in Toronto back in 2009. Since then, hundreds of Art Battles have taken place in cities across Canada, the U.K., the U.S., Italy, Japan, New Zealand, and the Netherlands. Jennifer Trithardt-Tufts, the executive director of the Abbotsford Arts Council, encourages people, especially those who aren’t normally art lovers, to come out to see the excitement and community the art battle format creates. She describes the atmosphere as “… a little bit intense, but a pretty chill kind of vibe.” She mentioned that this year in particular there will be a number of artists participating for the first time so she encourages everyone to come out, mingle, cheer loudly, and support Abbotsford’s local artists. Art Battle Abbotsford will take place at the Abbotsford Arts Centre at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 18. Student admission is $15 and general admission is $20. This will be a licensed event. Preview images of previous works by participating artists will be posted on Instagram @artbattleabbotsford in the days leading up to the event. Additional information is available at https://artbattle. com/events/ab748-abbotsford/

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2019

Game Recap //

UFV men’s volleyball weekend recap: Cascades lose back-to-back games in tough clashes against Camosun ALEX JESUS The UFV men’s volleyball team came into this past weekend’s games up against potentially their toughest challenge of the season to date. With a rough 1-11 record, they faced off against the Camosun Chargers, the four-time defending PACWEST champs in what proved to be a tough weekend score-wise, but a weekend the home team can learn from. Friday’s game opened up with UFV playing well. Camosun called a timeout with the score reading 1411 and although the set wasn’t perfect for the Cascades, they did just enough to stay a couple steps ahead of the Chargers. UFV would call a timeout with a 23-21 lead, which proved valuable for the Cascades as they wound up taking the set 25-22 — a big win for the hometown squad. Interestingly, the second set began with a yellow card being issued to Camosun #9 Eduardo Bida while he was talking with an official. This didn’t bother the Chargers, who played excellently en route to a 2-7 lead over the Cascades when UFV decided to call a timeout. Camosun would find their serve from here on, performing well against the Cascades. After a UFV timeout with the score 6-13, Camosun rolled on to win the set 25-11. The third set began with a strong push from UFV and excellent serving from #2 Landon Uy. They took it to the away team, with Camosun calling a timeout at the 5-1 score mark. From here, the Chargers found their stride and it was clear they were on the way to winning the set. UFV put up a good fight but dropped the third set to Camosun 25-21.

big leads, showing that they weren’t overly affected by their previous encounter with the championship Camosun team. The second set was close at times but ultimately Camosun used their experience and streaky play to win the set 25-19. The third set saw adversity for the Cascades, but #1 Shubdeep Wander provided a seemingly veteran contribution despite it being his first year with the team. UFV still struggled to overcome such a big lead from the experienced team, and lost the set 25-19. The Cascades were not done heading into the fourth set, as they opened up with a big lead of 16-10. In what might have been the story of the weekend, the Chargers continued their ways of never being bothered by deficits on the scoreboard and defeated the Cascades 25-22 in the set, and once again took the match 3-1. Coach Kyle Donen found silver linings in the Cascades performance. “Tonight was definitely a step forward,” Donen said post-game in an interview with Dan Kinvig, Communications Coordinator. “I think UFV Cascades (David Myles) we played well enough to win, we just fell a little bit short at the end of the sets we had our chancThe fourth set featured a rough start for the Cascades, with Camosun opening 0-6 and UFV calling a timeout. es in. Especially that last set — unfortunately we gave up But UFV began to turn it around, and at their next time- too many runs towards the end and fell short.” The Cascades will be back in action at home this weekout the score read 13-17 — a large improvement. Camosun end when they take on the College of the Rockies Avawent on to play a great final set, taking the the match 3-1. The next day the Cascades had their chance at revenge lanche in back-to-back games Saturday, Jan. 19 at 7:00 p.m. against the Chargers and, similar to the day prior, UFV and Sunday, Jan. 20 at 1:00 p.m. started strong. They won the first set 25-20 and had some

SPORTS

VOL. 27 // ISSUE 02

Game Recap //

UFV women’s volleyball weekend recap: Cascades and Chargers trade wins and losses in exciting weekend skirmish

over early, going up 5-0 before the Cascades called timeout. UFV again called timeout with the score at 2-13, and surely at this point everyone thought this set would be a blowout. In stunning fashion, despite being down double digits, UFV came all the way back only to lose the set 22-25. Camosun held tight, denying the upset and sending the game to a fifth and decisive set. The fifth set was a complete battle, with UFV calling a timeout at the 10-11 score mark for Camosun. The Chargers went up two more points, and the Cascades used their second timeout, but it wasn’t enough as the Camosun Chargers took the fifth set 15-12 and the game 3-2. The game that followed was quite UFV Cascades. (David Myles) the opposite of UFV and Camosun’s previous encounter just one ALEX JESUS night prior. The Cascades righted the wrongs of their The UFV Cascades had their work cut out for them this recent close loss and dominantly swept the Chargers weekend when they took on the Camosun Chargers in in their second meeting. The first set went relatively a pair of thrilling duels. UFV came into the weekend on uncontested, with the Cascades having a strong showa four-game win streak ranked No. 8, sporting a solid ing through the efforts of middle/right side #16 Keira 8-4 record, while Camosun came in ranked No. 12 with Fisher and winning the set 25-14. The second set was a competitive 8-6 record. The two teams traded wins almost as dominant a set in PacWest play as you’ll see, and losses in very different games, but nevertheless with UFV decimating Camosun 25-9. provided an action-packed weekend of volleyball for The third set was absolutely a close one, as Camosun those in attendance at the Envision Financial Athletic prepared to rally back for the upset win. At times the Centre. Chargers were able to bring the game close, but UFV Friday’s game ended as close as can be, but it opened used streaking success to separate themselves from with UFV in the driver’s seat. Camosun called a time- their adversaries, winning the set 25-21. out with the score reading 15-8 for the Cascades, but Coach Mike Gilray reflected on the big win after losthe Chargers streaked back repeatedly, making the first ing the first game in such close fashion. set a tight one. Camosun came all the way back to be “That was a massive game for us, standings and playdown by only one point (21-20) but UFV showed com- off-wise, to make sure we keep pace with them,” Gilray posure from then onward, winning the first set 25-21. said post-game in an interview with UFV communicaThe second set saw a complete reversal in terms of tions coordinator Dan Kinvig. “It was a clutch performomentum, as Camosun came out strong, taking the mance, and it was one of our most consistent nights. We lead early. They would be forced to call a timeout after rarely let them go on any runs.” UFV came back and took the lead by a score of 17-15, but The Cascades now sit at 9-5, enjoying a 0.643 win the Chargers’ adjustments continued to pay off as they percentage and growing with every weekend of action went on to win the second set 25-21. leading up to their playoff run. The team will be right The third set was so contested that neither team back at home next weekend for a matchup with the Colcalled a timeout! Camosun largely had the lead in the lege of the Rockies Avalanche, with those games kickthird, but the Cascades would come up clutch in the ing off Saturday, Jan. 19 at 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. end, winning the set by two points with a score of 25- 20. at 11:00 a.m. 23. The fourth set saw the Chargers completely take

UFV Cascades Sports Scores Jan. 11 – Jan.12, 2019 Men’s Basketball Game/Date: UFV Versus Victoria Jan. 11, 2019 Result: Win (98-94) Game/Date: UFV Versus Victoria Jan. 12, 2019 Result: Loss (75-78)

Women’s Basketball Game/Date: UFV Versus Victoria Jan. 11, 2019 Result: Loss (58-91) Game/Date: UFV Versus Victoria Jan. 12, 2019 Result: Win (73-71)

Men’s Volleyball Game/Date: UFV Versus Camosun Jan. 11, 2019 Result: Loss (1-3) Game/Date: UFV Versus Camosun Jan. 12, 2019 Result: Loss (1-3)

Women’s Volleyball Game/Date: UFV Versus Camosun Jan. 11, 2019 Result: Loss (2-3) Game/Date: UFV Versus Camosun Jan. 12, 2019 Result: Win (3-0)

STUDY BREAK

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2019

Crossword //

Made by Cassie de Jong ACROSS

DOWN

3: An intergovernmental organization whose purpose is to maintain international peace and security, which was founded on Oct. 24, 1945 in San Francisco. 5: An individual who studies human history or prehistory through the excavation of digsites and the analysis of artifacts. 9: To have unequal or unbalanced dimensions or measurements on either side of an object. 10: A canned dairy product that is thickened and sweetened by evaporation.

1: A public notice promoting a product, service, or event. 2: Bass guitarist and singer for the rock band that wrote the song “I Am the Walrus.” 4: The action of providing commentary or describing a story. 6: A long road that connects towns and cities. 7: Italian dumplings usually made from potato, semolina, or flour. 8: A long string of neighbouring stores and restaurants in onestory buildings.

LAST ISSUE’S

ANSWERS: Across: 4: Appletini 5: Biometric 6: Biodegradable 8: St. Patrick’s Day 9: Melatonin 10: Notorious

Down: 1: Antihistamine 2: Cambodia 3: Miscellaneous 7: Arsonist

Cascade Calamities

Horoscopes //

Temperature’s aren’t all that’s rising

Astrological mysteries interpreted weekly by Morgana the Mystic.

Aries — Mar 21 to Apr 19 You’re letting your fear of missing out dictate your life right now, and it can only end with you exhausted and overworked. Let reason be your guiding light when figuring out weekend plans; you’ll thank yourself for it.

Leo — Jul 23 to Aug 22 Choose what’s right for you — not others. You’ve been letting your friends and family influence your decisions as of late and it’s beginning to take a toll. They’ll understand and appreciate your need for autonomy.

Sagittarius — Nov 22 to Dec 21 Overwhelmed? This week is a great time to seek sanctuary from the dozens of commitments you’ve made and then regretted. You overextend yourself too often — take it slow once in a while. Capricorn — Dec 22 to Jan 19 All the effort you’ve been putting in seems to have been going unnoticed. While this may not bother you, you do deserve to feel some appreciation. Take the time this week to reward yourself for your hard work!

Taurus — Apr 20 to May 20 Make sure your footing is as solid as ever, Taurus. There have certainly been enough twists in the past few weeks that you’re feeling a little unsettled. Readjust and reaffirm your mindset to return to your normal — unfrazzled — state.

Virgo —Aug 23 to Sep 22 Encourage a little bit of disorganization this week. Not everything can be packed away into neatly labelled boxes and that’s alright! This new compromise with chaos will allow you some peace of mind in the future.

Gemini — May 21 to Jun 20 Your aversion to routine is putting an unneeded weight on your shoulders. You’re naturally attuned to all things new and exciting but there’s something to be said about the comfort a familiar schedule brings. Embrace it, Gemini.

Libra — Sep 23 to Oct 22 There’s no one more in need of a “to-do” list than you, Libra. Your habit of only thinking about what you’re going to do is a waste. You have tons of ideas— it’s time you put them to use!

Aquarius — Jan 20 to Feb 18 You’ll have to clear your mind in order for this week to make any sense. Deliberately take things slow to avoid any mishaps that may delay the process any further. This confusion should clear up soon, but for now just take things one day at a time.

Cancer —Jun 21 to Jul 22 This week should be all about making plans for the future, Cancer — no matter how far away it seems to be. Get excited about your goals and aspirations and you’ll succeed far beyond them!

Scorpio — Oct 23 to Nov 21 You have a lot going on right now, Scorpio. Expect exciting developments on current projects and a surplus of invitations from friends and acquaintances alike. Take advantage of this positive energy and celebrate!

Pisces — Feb 19 to Mar 20 Unfortunately, things won’t fall into place for you this week. Some assembly is required in order for you to get the most out of your time. Don’t be discouraged, things will ease up soon.

ARTS

VOL. 27 // ISSUE 02

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2018

arts@ufvcascade.ca Martin Castro — Arts Editor

Netflix //

All's well that ends well? CHARTS 1

Blessed Thought (Single)

Lindsay Beaver Tough As Love

Sydney Beau The Hummingbird EP

Daniel Romano Finally Free

Tim the Mute Do In Yourself

Single Mothers Through A Wall

Richard Reed Parry Quiet River of Dust Vol. 1 Buddy Guy The Blues Is Alive And Well

8 9

Lil Windex Idk

Colin James Miles to Go

Kat Danser Goin' Gone

Survival Instinct Kataplexis

Hubbo Jiffy

Shad A Short Story About A War

Motherhood Baby Teeth

Rachelle Coba Blink

Midnite Johnny Long Road Home

Ryu Darko Higher (Single) Joe Bonamassa Redemption

19 20

Saverio Maccne and Double Aces Look Twice

SHUFFLE

A philosopher’s nightmare: Bandersnatch

AARON LEVY TIME TRAVELER

CIVL Station Manager Aaron Levy traveled to Victoria this weekend where the men’s and women’s Cascade basketball teams each split their two games with the Vikes in three of four barn burners that went down to the last shot. Next up, the Calgary Dinos on Jan. 25 and 26. Come be a part of the excitement!

Drake - “I’m Upset” “Upset” is what the UFV Cascades men’s basketball team hopes to do to the Calgary Dinos when they arrive in Abbotsford in two weeks as the defending national champions. If we don’t, it’s highly likely that no one will, and the former coach of the year goes to playoffs undefeated. Tina Turner - “Simply the Best” The Carlton Ravens are simply the best, and it’s disappointing in one sense for Calgary that they didn’t have the chance to face them en route to the first national Canada West championship in what certainly qualifies as ever. At the same time, does it really qualify as a championship? Avril Lavigne - “I’m With You” The song from which Rhi-Rhi’s “I’ll Drink to That” anthem derives its breathy hook. It’s time for the UFV family to come together and witness what will be an historic weekend, regardless of the game’s outcome. Hall of Fame inductions and all. It’s not really all that complicated. The Game ft Drake - “100” There is no other way to win against a team as stacked, prepared, and talented as the Calgary Dino’s with 33-year-old former Mount Royal Cougar and ironic living legend Brett Layton, other than to keep it eight more than 92 for 40 minus absolutely zero minutes. Go get ‘em.

EMMALINE SPENCER Netflix recently released a “choose your own adventure” movie with multiple endings. Black Mirror: Bandersnatch has set people on a potential fivehour mission to find the “good ending” by going through all possible routes in the film. The production has been a long time coming and Black Mirror fans are ecstatic with its release. The film is either a philosopher’s dream or nightmare. The premise of the story finds main character Stephen, a young video game developer, beginning to suspect a sinister reason behind the similarities between his life and “Bandersnatch,” the video game he is trying to produce. The game Stephen is developing aims to allow players to make their own choices within the game that lead to multiple different endings. Perhaps due to the time Stephen spends alone while developing the game and the continuous crashes that occur while he is in mid-development, he starts to suspect that someone or something is controlling his choices and that he doesn’t truly have free will. The first choice we (the viewers) get to make is the simple decision of what cereal to have for

breakfast. From that point on, every choice can change your end result. Almost all the endings result in at least one of the characters dying. The film received some backlash resulting from a debate as to whether there truly is a path leading to a happy ending. In one ending, Stephen finds resolution and peace with himself as he goes back in time and makes a different decision in his past that kills him in the present period. Another ending features Stephen finally getting a perfect score on “Bandersnatch,” except the price of getting to that score sees Stephen mirror the fate of the author whose book his game is based on. The original author of the book went mentally ill and ruthlessly murdered his wife. In Stephen’s case, he murders his father. The debates over which (or any) endings are good endings are rooted in your individual point of view. Is your goal to help Stephen perfect the game, or is it to find peace? Perhaps, you just want a single ending where everyone lives. Regardless of what ending you would rather be the “official” ending, Black Mirror: Bandersnatch is worth watching through at least once. The film is much like other Black Mirror episodes, in that the entire show is a bit dark and does have a

unique conceptual view on society, but the twists it takes make you want to watch it again to see other possibilities. One of the features of the film is that when you watch it multiple times to find the different endings, some of the scenes change slightly when you watch them a second time and result in small déjà vu moments from the characters where they hold knowledge from a previous run-through of the same scene. At the end of Bandersnatch, you might also have some questions for yourself. The film causes people to self-reflect upon its message. Are we all making small decisions that are pointless because they all end in the same result, death? Black Mirror: Bandersnatch is something we should all watch because it is bound to get a reaction out of everyone, be it bad or good. We can be mad about there being no ending where Stephen’s game gets a perfect score and no one dies, or we can think a little deeper about the message the show is trying to send.

ARTS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2019

Netflix //

Bird Box and the reason Netflix wins, even when it fails movie is irrelevant. (Spoiler: it’s just okay. You’ve got your runof-the-mill dystopia; you’ve got By now you’ve heard of Bird Box. your trauma-hardened woman Even if you haven’t seen it, you’ve selflessly toting children through most likely come across memes said dystopia; you’ve got the very of Sandra Bullock blindfolded or generic “unknown” as your main videos of people trying to make antagonist; you’ve also got an their way through a forest, simi- internally-consistent but cop-out larly blindfolded. ending: Oh, right. Blind people.) Bird Box, based on the novel by It’s irrelevant because Netflix Josh Malerman, is an okay movie. isn’t making movies for people A pandemic of suicides strikes the globe, spread not by bacteria, but by… sight? Were you to have the poor luck of seeing an afflicted person take their own life (usually dramatically, and with a flair for the creative), your pupils would go all blurry, and you’d immediately be compelled to take your own life. Unless, of course, you’re “crazy,” in which case all you get is blurry-eye syndrome and are allowed by whatever nefarious force is pulling the strings to run amok, killing and hollering and doing “crazy person” stuff. (Note: mental illness affects one in every five Canadians and manifests itself in symptoms too numerous to list here, not all of which include delusions, and even less of which come hand-in-hand with the kind compulsive violence seen in the film. You’re reaching for some real low-hanging fruit here, Malerman. Most would call that lazy writing.) Okay, now on to Netflix and that have watched 1,400 of them their business model, because my and are looking for some kind of argument here is less about Bird progression insofar as aesthetics Box the movie, and more about or narrative structure; Netflix is the weeks-long marketing push making movies for high-schoolcarried out by Netflix to ensure ers. that you watch Bird Box the movI mean, sure, ROMA’s existence ie. proves that Netflix also is interAt the end of the day, wheth- ested in putting together “art” er or not Bird Box was a “good” films, but they’re only doing this

MARTIN CASTRO

now because they have the budget for it. Don’t get me wrong, aesthetically, ROMA is stunning, but I’d urge you to be suspicious of anyone touting it as proof of Netflix’s commitment to filmmaking. After all, it’s one more part of the market to corner. The reason it’s irrelevant whether or not Bird Box was any good is that Netflix doesn’t do box office sales. They don’t do

nect to their peers, movies like Bird Box are mandatory viewing. You gotta watch this thing, because if you don’t, what else are you going to talk about over the watercooler? Netflix doesn’t care about Bird Box’s critical reception, because they have the streams to counter the argument that it’s not a good movie (even though it isn’t). Since they act as both distributor and

opening weekends. Their worth as media producers is not measured in first-week box office runs. When it comes to movies like Bird Box, what matters to Netflix is that you know it’s there. Even if you haven’t seen it, you know it’s there. For many people who watch movies as a touchstone with which to con-

producer, there’s really no way to hold Netflix accountable. At the end of the day, they’re running a business, and the metrics they use to gauge their success are streams, new subscribers, and social media engagement. If their next production was unanimously derided as the worst thing ever to be filmed by anyone any-

where, Netflix still wouldn’t care. Because they’d still be getting paid. And, perhaps most insidiously, the memes would still get made. You can’t even make memes about this movie without doubling-down on Netflix’s intentions. How many people now know about Bird Box because Netflix addressed the “Bird Box challenge” on Twitter? Even if the meme was organically created by someone to usurp or poke fun at Bird Box’s premise, it took next to no effort for Netflix to commodify any kind of commentary or opposition to one of its products and use it to market that very same product. I’m also not entirely convinced that the memes are 100 per cent organic. I’m sure there are better, more impactful, things to be needlessly paranoid about, but in my heart of hearts, I still harbour suspicion that the very first batch of Bird Box memes materialized at the behest of a savvy Netflix marketing executive. It would also hardly matter if they were, because I still watched the movie. There’s not even that much of a point to recommending that you do (or don’t) watch Bird Box. Having the option to watch it means you have a Netflix subscription, and have thus already paid your money. The only thing I could possibly save you is time: the time you might spend watching Bird Box before stopping once you realize it’s really not your thing; or the time you might spend blissfully unaware of its existence before eventually stumbling across it on the service. (Or, more likely, having it shoved in your face by Netflix’s user interface.)