OCTOBER 19 TO OCTOBER 26, 2016
VOLUME 24 ISSUE 25
A perfect score on skipping classes since 1993
THE DARK WEB pg. 10-11
sus by-elections
don’t breathe
pg. 3
pg. 12
WWW.UFVCASCADE.CA
www.ufvcascade.ca
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19 2016
EDITORIAL
Is it us or is it them? MITCH HUTTEMA THE CASCADE
As someone who has voted in all (okay, most) of the Student Union Society (SUS) elections while I’ve been at UFV, I checked which candidates were running in this by-election pretty much as soon as they were announced. I’m used to seeing only a few names on the candidates list, most of whom I already know through other involvements on campus or are already somehow involved with SUS. But what I didn’t expect, was to only see one name. In 2014, SUS was in the exact same position with only one person running for Aboriginal representative, and all of the other positions left vacant. While this is clearly a pattern, I hoped that this year would be different. SUS’ recent annual elections broke every norm of every prior election, not only with high voter turnout but with every one of the executive positions contested. The election saw 1,350 students vote, more than three times the amount of voters in the 2015 elections (472) or the 2014 elections (388). Thomas Davies, the SUS president at the time, said that the voter turnout was the highest on record and that it “really speaks to the level of engagement that we have here on campus.” Thomas wasn’t wrong. Last semester was one of the first where it felt like there was somewhat of a hype surrounding the election. Part of this was obviously a result of each position being contested (which resulted in a much higher amount of drama than usual), but the election coinciding with the federal election last year could have been a huge motivator for voter turnout as well. While we can’t know voter turnout for this election yet, it is possible that the American presidential election may have some effect on the political engagement of students. There is cause, however, for low voter turnout, especially with
only one candidate, and the fact that this is not a regular annual election will be a contributing factor. SUS has been advertising about this election since late-August via Facebook — which is arguably the most effective medium with the voting demographic — when they asked for applications for the positions. But as far as print advertisement, I personally have seen no posters regarding it, and most of the knowledge I have regarding this is word of mouth or from SUS’s website. According to SUS bylaws, a by-election must be called if there are less than three elected members of the board or they may choose to call a by-election any time if there are any vacant elected positions on the board. As there are currently only six elected members on the SUS board at the moment, this election is obviously being called because of the latter bylaw. With five spots to fill and only one candidate in the running for one of the positions, the evidence points not to SUS being at fault for misadvertising, but students for not stepping up. SUS has done the duty of running a by-election to fill positions on the board, but the need for an election stems from students dropping out of board positions and neglecting to take the opportunity of applying for candidacy. Other societies at UFV have seen similar board drop-outs, many in recent history even. Even the Cascade Journalism Society is looking at topping up board positions at its upcoming Annual General Meeting as well. In an ideal world, all the societies at UFV would have a full board of engaged students having a say in the things that their fees are paying for. We’d probably have multiple reps for various faculties in that world, seeing as Canada federally is on the brink of shifting into proportional representation and it would be logical to make a similar more proportional representation of the UFV student population on the SUS board. If my theory about a disengaged student population is in fact correct, then I can assume that at this point no students are actu-
ally reading this and I’m just talking to profs. Hey guys, thanks for putting up with us when we skip classes and fail to complete assignments on time. It has a lot to do with our mental health, but procrastination is a major issue. Thanks for putting up with us in the meantime, my only request of you is to encourage — or keep encouraging — your students to get involved, to remind them to pay attention to what happens on campus, to inspire them to stop focusing on graduation and finding a career, but instead to invest in where they are now and take advantage of the pre-real-world experiences they have around them. And students (if you really are reading this), let’s stop whining about midterms, step up into reality, and realize we aren’t entitled to three Netflix-devoted days a week. You can get on your feet and exceed if you make the choice to care — it will benefit you in more ways than you think and it will help with feeling stressed out or unproductive. I am not one for tropes, but “If you want something done, ask a busy person” has really proven itself to me. For those of you students that aren’t binging TV in your off time and in your on time and are truly busy, rock-on. If you aren’t dead in 10 years from the stress, you’ll be doing great things for sure. Advertising around campus or on social media seems like the most logical way to inform students about the elections, but if students are too disengaged or indifferent to look at posters, read Facebook posts, or keep tabs on the various societies at UFV through via any means, then no amount of advertising will make any changes. The questions I leave you with are these: To whom does the responsibility of engaging students belong? With professors and the organizations that need them, or with the students themselves? Following that is the crux of what every engaged person at UFV, staff or student, is wondering: How do we get them to care?
News
Opinion
Culture
Arts
#wellnesswalks
What is love?
Art Battle
Andy Shauf
Get in shape with UFV’s new walking routes.
There’s more to life than relationships
Competitive painting comes to UFV’s Trades campus
Shauf’s second concert in Vancouver this year was a success
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STAFF
CONTRIBUTORS
Editor-in-Chief Vanessa Broadbent vanessa@ufvcascade.ca
Opinion Editor Panku Sharma panku@ufvcascade.ca
Features Editor Bradley Peters brad@ufvcascade.ca
Managing Editor Mitch Huttema mitch@ufvcascade.ca
Culture & Events Editor Jeff Mijo jeff@ufvcascade.ca
Illustrator Amara Gelaude amara@ufvcascade.ca
Business Manager Jennifer Trithardt-Tufts jennifer@ufvcascade.ca
Arts in Review Editor Martin Castro martin@ufvcascade.ca
Multimedia Editor Martin Ranninger martin.r@ufvcascade.ca
Copy Editor Kat Marusiak kat@ufvcascade.ca
Production Manager Brittany Cardinal brittany@ufvcascade.ca
Advertising Rep Kayla Schuurmans kayla@ufvcascade.ca
News Editor Joel Robertson-Taylor joel@ufvcascade.ca
Online Editor Tanya Vanpraseuth tanya@ufvcascade.ca
Staff Writers Emma Groeneveld emma@ufvcascade.ca Michael Chutskoff mike@ufvcascade.ca
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Kayla BWD Klara Chmelarova Rachel Tait Amanda Graham Trevor Johnson Alexandrah Pahl
WWW.UFVCASCADE.CA @UFVCASCADE FACEBOOK.COM/UFVCASCADE INSTAGRAM.COM/THE.CASCADE
Volume 24 · Issue 25 Room S2111 33844 King Road Abbotsford, BC V2S 7M8 604.854.4529 Front & Back Cover Design: Brittany Cardinal
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 each Monday at 2:00 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.
www.ufvcascade.ca
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016
NEWS
NEWS BRIEFS ShakeOut BC Day October 20 is ShakeOut BC Day, a day to address and prepare for earthquakes. At 10:20 a.m. millions of people worldwide will practice earthquake safety and learn how to “drop, cover, and hold on.” More than 3,000 earthquakes occur in British Columbia each year and while most go unnoticed large tremors have the ability to cause major damage. UFV will be participating in ShakeOut BC Day to encourage the awareness of earthquake potential and knowledgeable preparation for emergencies. Two new degree programs for UFV UFV has added two bachelor of arts degree programs: peace and conflict studies (PACS) and theatre. The programs follow four other degrees that were approved by the government in May. The PACS degree is a unique interdisciplinary program that focuses on conflict transformation strategies. The theatre degree will look at creative practice, critical thinking, and performance theory. Both degrees are unique to the Fraser Valley and will be launched in fall of 2017. UBC PharmD program UBC’s faculty of pharmaceutical studies is coming to UFV to present an info session on the Entryto-Practice Doctor of Pharmacy program. They will discuss admission requirements and opportunities in a pharmacy related career. Recruitment and admission officers will also be available to answer questions about the program. The session will take place on October 20 from 5:30–6:30 p.m. UFV Alerts On October 20, UFV will test their emergency notification system. The system is designed to keep faculty, staff, and students updated about UFV related information during an emergency or weather related closure. On Thursday, UFV will test audio alarms, web notification systems, and myUFV mail and web notifications. The program will be used to get important information out to the UFV community and keep them updated with accurate information. The alert will take place at 10:20 a.m.
Wellness and education cross paths Walking routes around UFV encourage walking study breaks. VANESSA BROADBENT THE CASCADE
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle as a student is easier said than done, but UFV’s campus recreation department is hoping to change that. The department recently launched “Wellness Routes,” an initiative that outlines various walking routes around UFV’s Abbotsford campus. Cheryl Van Nes, UFV’s program manager of campus recreation and wellness, explained that the goal of the program is to promote healthier living among students. “We want to get students involved in the recreational community, being healthy and active, and get an experience outside of the classroom,” she said. “We want students to know that there are opportunities on campus outside of what their U-Pass has to offer them, which a lot of students aren’t aware of.” The idea for the walking routes initially came out of a discussion between the campus recreation and facilities departments. “It started with facilities,” Van Nes explained. “We asked a number of employees that had been walking on their lunch hour to give their favourite walking route, and that was how they were determined.” The six routes, which are displayed on the campus recreation department’s website as well as on various signage around the Abbotsford campus, are all varying in length and distance from campus. Some, such as the Library loop (0.8 km) or the Cascades loop (1.87 km) are shorter in distance and stay within campus limits, while others such as the Border loop (5.68 km), which takes walkers all the way to Vye Road, are a little longer. “We tried to stay within the campus somewhat because we can put posters and signage on UFV property, and then we looked at other areas to make
Photo: Mitch Huttema
it a bit longer of a walk,” Van Nes said. Although the program is still new, Van Nes already has plans to bring it to other campuses as well. “We’re piloting this on the Abbotsford campus with the idea of going and doing this in Chilliwack,” she said. In the meantime, Van Nes is hoping to get people walking by hosting a social media contest. “We’re doing a selfie-type, social media launch,” she said. “If you take a selfie and hashtag #wellnesswalks, then we’re going to choose people to win prizes for trying out our wellness walk.”
Ultimately, Van Nes hopes that the program will inspire students to try to incorporate physical activity into their daily lives. “It promotes people to get up and get active and that’s ultimately what the goal of campus recreation is,” she said. “If students can be physically active, it’s a benefit to their university career, really — healthy mind, healthy bodies, right?” For more information and a complete list of the walking routes, visit ufv.ca/campusrec.
SUS by-elections see low interest in candidates VANESSA BROADBENT THE CASCADE
With the Student Union Society (SUS) board of directors already halfway through its year long term, a by-election has been called in hopes of filling the five vacant positions. Third year philosophy student Cody Alex Lucas-Dumas, who is also the only candidate in the election, will be running for aboriginal representative. SUS vice president internal Ashmeet Saran explained that the low amount of candidates was unexpected following the high amount of interest in SUS’ general elections earlier this year. “In relation to the last elections turnout, we were expecting a few more applicants,” she said.
“However it’s usually unpredictable how many people will apply because it’s the fall semester and many students are more focused on settling into the new academic year.” The remaining vacant positions, college of arts representative, faculty of access and continuing education representative, faculty of applied and technical studies representative, and school of graduate studies representative, will remain open and will be up for election again in SUS’ annual election next year. “The purpose of all positions on the SUS board of directors is to make sure that every department has a representative who channels the department’s concerns or ideas that need to be communicated to an upper level management,”
Saran explained. “By having representatives of each department on the SUS Board, the UFV Community (as a whole) is represented on the SUS Board of Directors.” Although the election won’t be a tight race, Saran still encourages students to participate by voting. “Each representative position carries as much importance as executive positions because the SUS Board of Directors oversees the organization as a whole,” she said. “Even if a position is uncontested, essentially it is yet an election. Students yet have a right to express their opinion by being a part of the voting process.” Students can vote in the election on October 2425 through their myUFV accounts. For more information, visit ufvsus.ca/elections.
Correction In last week’s issue of The Cascade, Ashley Hayes was incorrectly referred to as a trained student volunteer in the article “Student Mental Health, a silent epidemic.” Ashley is actually a full-time UFV staff member with the Peer Resource and Leadership Centre who oversees student volunteers.
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www.ufvcascade.ca
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19 2016
NEWS Government trading money for programs The B.C. government recognizes need for more trades jobs in a growing market JOEL ROBERTSON-TAYLOR THE CASCADE
UFV will benefit from $187,000 invested into four different trades training programs. The B.C. government is providing the funds for purchasing new tools and equipment. As part of B.C.’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint, the investment will be allotted to four specific programs to provide students with the skills training they need to enter the workforce. The programs receiving new equipment — heavy-duty mechanical, automotive, plumbing, and carpentry — were selected because of the expected increase in demand for skilled tradespeople. Based on future economic development predictions, these trades have been prioritized for projects like the Pacific NorthWest LNG pipeline. Over the next 10 years, the 2025 Labour Market Outlook forecasts 10,300 job openings
for carpenters, 5,440 jobs for automotive service technicians, 2,800 for heavy duty equipment technicians, and 2,500 for plumbers. Although some of the funding will be used to purchase new tools, much of it will go towards replacing and updating worn-out equipment. Rolf Arnold, associate dean of the Trades and Technology Centre is involved in the selection process. “We had provided [the government] with a list of equipment that we needed, the list was much bigger than $187,000,” said Arnold. “But that’s what they allotted to us.” Some of the equipment that UFV is currently looking to purchase includes a jointer / planer for carpentry, wheel alignment equipment for automotive, and a tire changer for heavy duty equipment. “We have to choose from that list of the items that we think are a priority and that will
fit into the $187,000,” said Arnold. Chilliwack-Hope MLA Laurie Throness and Chilliwack John Martin announced the funding last week at the UFV Trades and the UFV Trades and Technology Centre on behalf of advanced education minister Andrew Wilkinson. “The funding we announced this week ($187,000 for trades training equipment) will add to our capacity, and I’ll be working hard to expand our skills training horizons in the future,” said Throness. Predictions for job openings claim that there will be nearly 1 million positions by 2025 with 97,000 of those opening in 2017. To address this, the B.C. government has also provided additional funding to UFV for extra classes. “We’ve been running with additional programs and putting through more students than normal because of their expected demand
for tradespeople in various industries,” said Arnold. Although jobs will increase across B.C. in general, there will also be major growth within the Fraser Valley. “Just in Chilliwack, there is a growing demand for heavy duty mechanics, carpenters, and plumbers. Due to our first-class Trades and Technical Centre, Chilliwack is meeting that demand and more, becoming a hub for skills training in the Lower Mainland.” said Throness There are currently more people retiring than joining the workforce and UFV will continue to address the growing job market by providing more courses as they see demand increase.
The cats have been found UFV’s cat family has been rescued and is looking for a new home VANESSA BROADBENT THE CASCADE
After a campus-wide search, UFV’s infamous cat family has finally been rescued. On Friday, Ashley Hayes, an employee of UFV’s Peer Resource and Leadership Centre, spotted the five kittens underneath a window outside of B building. The Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association (VOKRA) was contacted, and they brought the kittens to their shelter, and spent the rest of the weekend looking for the mother, who was found on Sunday. The cat and her kittens are currently in a holding facility receiving specialized care, and will be put into foster families eventually. VOKRA had seven volunteers who spent 50-60 hours at UFV over the weekend looking for the cat, and now they’re hoping to continue helping them by finding them new homes. “It’s so nice that it’s a happily ever after story,” said Belinda Karsen, student transitions coordinator with student services. Karsen also noted that if any cats are spotted on campus in the future, UFV security should be contacted immediately by calling 1-855-239-7654. Anyone interested in adopting the kittens is encouraged to fill out an adoption application on VOKRA’s website (orphankittenrescue.com). Photo: Anne Salomon
THE CASCADE IS HIRING A VARSITY WRITER
Applications should include a resume, cover letter, and a sample of your writing. The deadline for applications is Oct 31st. To apply, or request further information, please email mitch@ufvcascade.ca. 4
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016
www.ufvcascade.ca
OPINION
A place for passion and empathy: Life isn’t a job interview PANKU SHARMA THE CASCADE
What I think I’ve benefited most from a university education is the ability to second guess and examine my own reactions and beliefs. I’m not saying I do it thoroughly, or on every issue, but I do seek to try and understand different sides of an argument. At its worst, it’ll leave you stuck on the fence, knees quivering and frightened of picking a side, but at its best, conversations with others and allowing yourself to be open will expand your worldview. I’m going to be honest, when I first heard the term “tone policing” my gut reaction was to chalk it up to overexaggerated Tumblr culture. You know the one, the kind that gets made fun of when social justice issues are raised, its advocates mocked for their sensitivity or anti-intellectualism. I think what had me offput was that it was being brought up in contexts that I couldn’t understand, in conversations around experiences I never had. It was easy for me to dismiss. Generally, the term refers to silencing
tactics when arguments are dismissed based on the emotion in which they are being said rather than the content of the message itself. As it too often happens, sometimes we get caught up in labels and connotations rather than the meat of an issue. The fact is, I’ve always believed it’s an unfair tactic in practice, but I dismissed it when it was given a name and associated with groups I don’t identify with. That doesn’t sound very principled. Arguments based on class and wider society are what helped me draw the connection. Few things are won by asking politely, and it’s easy for those in power to ask others to calm down. Amber A’Lee Frost’s Current Affairs article “The Necessity of Political Vulgarity,” which highlighted “malicious political japery” as a “crucial rhetorical weapon of the politically excluded,” is a great place to start when considering how language and tone is policed by the powerful. Civil discussion is the ideal, but we don’t live in a perfect world. Now, of course, there are caveats, lines that are necessarily drawn. When speaking to peers, when trying to have meaningful dialogue and platform building, we should expect some sobriety,
or at least designate some sort of structure to the exchange. At the same time, we have to have a level of understanding for others. At times it can be frustrating, sure, but we should all approach the table with goodwill for a productive process and each other’s humanity. In the realm of politics, though, I relish in choice words and high standards. I’m an idealist, I think we have it in us to do great good. Yet sometimes to get the conversations started, it takes a loud, brash, and passionate appeal. Part of a perfect world will be the freedom to call people out on their shit, and everyone focusing on the shit rather than your pointing. In that same regard, we should give Trump some credit for being straightforward with his bullshit, rather than trying to pretty it up with red paint and family values stickers. Look at how much easier it is to make decisions when people stop trying to beat around the bush or politely ruin your life. Also, if I’ve missed the mark completely, I’ d love to hear why. I’ d love for more open dialogue on campus. If it ends up in more articles being submitted, that is just a bonus. You can contact me at panku@ ufvcascade.ca.
Calling without cops Why people won’t call in overdoses TREVOR JOHNSON THE CASCADE
Recently I was asked, “What anti-crime advice or slogan do you remember the most from growing up?” Automatically, I responded, “Stay away from drugs.” Growing up, drug use was always synonymous with crime, although ironically, the crime most associated with drug use is simple possession of drugs. The program best known for its “stay away from drugs” rhetoric is perhaps the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program, most commonly known as the D.A.R.E. program. The D.A.R.E. program is essentially a onesize-fits-all drug prevention program, in which police officers reinforce to elementary school children misguided assumptions that paint drug use as a criminal issue instead of as a health issue. In other words, the D.A.R.E. program is a social mechanism intended to instill norms that label drugs as inherently bad which, in effect, stigmatizes drug users. The problem with stigmatizing drug use as a criminal issue is it facilitates the fear of getting caught and it encourages people to hide their drug use. Hiding drug use encourages unsafe practices and increases an individual’s risk of physical harm, including death by drug overdose. In B.C. there has been such a large increase in overdose deaths that a public health emergency has been declared by our province’s chief health officer. There have been 488 overdoses
in B.C. between January and August of this year, which works out to 61 overdose deaths a month according to the B.C. coroner’s office. To help give these numbers some perspective, in 2014 Abbotsford had seven deaths due to illicit drug overdoses compared with the 23 that have already occurred this year between January and August. The B.C. coroner reports that overdose deaths due to fentanyl increased to 61 per cent in 2016, compared with 30 per cent in 2015. In the midst of this public health crisis, which has been propelled by the increased use of fentanyl and the overdose deaths associated with it, I can’t help but wonder about possible unintended consequences of the D.A.R.E. program. For instance, could the stigmatization and criminal labeling of drug use, as is facilitated by the D.A.R.E program, affect the rate at which 911 is called when people overdose on drugs? I think this is a fair question considering that it has come to the B.C. health authority’s attention that a significant portion of overdoses occurring in B.C. are not being called in to 911. In fact, according to a report recently published by the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, provincial rates for calling 911 to report an overdose are only 64 per cent, and in Abbotsford the rates of calling 911 to report an overdose to emergency services is even lower, at 60 per cent. That same report found that a drug overdose on the street is 10 times more likely to be called in to 911 than an overdose at a residence. That shit is scary as hell! If someone is
overdosing, call 911. Why would people not call 911 if the person they are getting stoned with overdoses? Could it be that our communities have stigmatized and criminalized drug use to such an extent that the choice to ignore a friend or associate’s apparent overdose is more appealing than calling emergency services and admitting to drug use? Maybe! The top three reasons for not calling 911 cited by the BCCDC were: thinking that the overdose could be handled without 911, fear of police and getting in trouble, and lack of a phone. I am going to go out on a limb and suggest that the first reason, thinking that an overdose could be handled without 911, is correlated with the second reason: fear of police and getting into trouble. So if the fear of police attendance to emergency calls that involve overdoses has been shown as a major barrier to 911 being called when overdoses occur, why are the police still showing up to these overdose calls? Well, it appears that not all police departments are, at least not on a regular basis. According to 2006 Vancouver Police Board meeting minutes, Vancouver Police Department regulations and procedures were amended so that VPD would no longer respond to routine overdose calls, only to fatal overdoses and to overdose calls where there’s potential danger to emergency medical responders. Perhaps that progressive policy is one of the reasons why Vancouver’s 911 call rate for overdoses was shown to be significantly higher than the provincial average in the BCCDC report.
So for those people who live in a city or town whose police force does not have a progressive life-saving approach to overdose response, are there ways to receive emergency medical assistance from a 911 call without alerting the police to the situation? Yes! One of the recommendations provided by the BCCDC is to train the public how to use specific wording when calling 911 that can ensure emergency team response while minimizing the chance of police attendance. For instance, if your friend or the person you are getting stoned with overdoses, immediately call 911 but do not state that you’re reporting an overdose. Instead, tell the 911 operator that an individual is unconscious and not breathing for reasons unknown. Maybe you went to the washroom and came back to find your friend unconscious. Telling a lie to a 911 operator is really not a big deal when compared with neglecting to call for help if you witness someone overdosing on drugs. So, how can public officials and health authorities socialize community members into becoming the type of individuals who will call 911 in the unfortunate event they witness a drug overdose? Maybe start with education. Instead of using empirically unimpressive and arguably counterproductive programs that focus on prevention and criminalization of drug use, develop and implement programs that approach substance use as a health issue and that include harm reduction strategies, such as calling 911 in case of an overdose.
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www.ufvcascade.ca
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016
OPINION
SNAPSH
TS
Curtailed commentary on current conditions
Feed your pets healthy food! Emma Groeneveld
Ever since I was little I’ve always been an animal lover. My family had a golden retriever when I was young and I loved her to bits. Unfortunately, she was not very healthy and had a lot of issues through her life. We fed her “Veterinary Exclusive” Royal Canin and her skin and fur began to deteriorate slowly as she got older. The poor thing had scabs and scars and her hair began to fall out on her back. Our family had no idea why she was getting so sick, as we treated her like a princess. It slowly dawned on us that the food we were giving her was slowly making her sicker and sicker. To all owners of pets: do not feed your pets anything from Royal Canin, it is full of cheap grains and processed ingredients that are bad for animals and hard for them to digest. The second we switched her to Acana brand she improved dramatically, her skin healed, and her fur came back. All from a switch of her diet. Just like us humans, if we eat nothing but junk food all the time, we won’t live a healthy, full life. I have started working at a healthy pet food store and I have learned so much about diets for our animals and how to feed them what they need. As the store’s slogan reads: “Pets add years to our lives, now it’s time we add some to theirs.” Healthy food changes our pets’ lives, and the sooner we start feeding them what they were meant to be eating, the sooner they can be healthy and happy.
RE: GMOs (maybe they should have to go) Martin Ranninger
Have you ever just wanted a coffee to help you survive the idiotic mundanes that exist around you, only to get to the Timmies on campus and find waste-of-space humanoids in a line to the door and back? Well, that has happened to me too many times. I propose that there should be an app that features video surveillance of the Tim Horton’s line that can be inspected at any time. You would be able to check your phone and see whether or not it is the prime time to go and order, or to sit your ass back down and wait to strike. Now to be fair, it could be a creepy way to stalk people; but I like to think of it as a tool to bring awareness of a fundamental Canadian right that might not be available to those of us who don’t have time to wait in ludicrous lines.
Timmie Cam
Aid for Student Aid
Amanda Graham
Kayla BWD
I understand the desire not to stay in the medieval ages, and I don’t want to either. The future, whether bright or not, is inevitably the direction in which I want to go. Without scientific progress, you wouldn’t be reading this today. However, to say that 7-10 years is long enough to know what genetically modified food does to our bodies does not seem long enough to me. The pro-GMO argument I hear most often is being able to feed our growing population. From 1.5 billion people living on Earth in 1912, the population skyrocketed to 7 billion in 2012 and the number is only going to rise. Yet we have increased productivity and industrialization. In the developed world most of us enjoy a great standard of living, measurable by the year-long availability of food. And oh boy, we have lots. And oh boy, how much of it is wasted. It’s not true that we do not grow enough to feed the world’s population. If the majority of the crops wouldn’t be used as feed for livestock there would be no headlines about hunger in African countries. Fun fact: One of the oldest agro-chemistry (pesticides) companies, Bayer, recently acquired Monsanto in a multi-billion dollar deal. If that’s the engagement of the devil and Satan, I wonder what would be served at the wedding party.
It is the middle of October and I am still waiting for my student loan, the one I applied for in June. I have called consistently for months and got various reasons to what was holding up the application. I was told at first that since I indicated I had a permanent disability, extra forms needed to be filled out by my doctor. Three sets of forms later, I was starting to get annoyed. Then the excuse when I called was that there was a flood of other applications and it would take time to process them all. A month later they were still processing and I was told that calling would not speed up the process. This caused me to feel extremely anxious and frustrated as I was starting school and had no way of paying tuition. This week I was finally told that there was an error on their end and they would fix it. After now getting my fee deferral extended twice, going without a computer, taking on extra jobs to buy school supplies, saying no to outings with friends, and having to ask family for food, I have been assured that my loan will be deposited sometime in the next week. By this point, I have lost all faith in Student Aid BC’s ability to assist people with disabilities in achieving post-secondary education.
What is love? KLARA CHMELAROVA CONTRIBUTOR
Love. It’s one of those ultimate goals in life, right? Get an education, a good job, meet the love of your life, start a family, and plant a tree. It almost seems like we’ve become obsessed with the idea of being with someone. Sure, it’s great when you find a person you enjoy being with, but is it always the case? So many people stay in the relationships, or worse yet, get married just because they don’t want to be single. My friend from high school is a great example. She was a very independent and smart young woman. During our first year we planned to go to college together and share a flat and do all those student life things you dream about while still having a set timetable. Then one day she
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found a man, got pregnant, and married him. There wouldn’t be anything wrong with that if the guy wasn’t abusive towards her from the first month they were together. I begged her to dump him and her reply was: “It’s better than no one.” This summer we met for coffee for the first time in two years. “Oh you know, it’s better than at the beginning. He hasn’t done it for a long time. And what about you Klara, still single?” she asked, looking at me with pity. “Yeah, still single.” “Oh don’t worry. I am sure you will soon find someone.” My friend, who is in an abusive relationship with a controlling to-be-husband, feels sorry for me. I would say that’s probably the worst thing about not having a soulmate. If you are not in a relationship people treat you either
with pity or they tend to patronize you. “Don’t worry, it will all work out” or “When you get a man you’ll see.” There is nothing to be worried about but if you start taking those well-meant, ill-aimed comments to heart, sooner or later you’ll become desperate. And that’s a recipe for disaster. Trust me, because I did. Especially during high school, I tended to succumb to the no-relationship-equals-no-life trend, which got me into some pretty nasty situations. For instance, there was a guy whose only worries were my whereabouts, company I was with, and time I would get back home to sit on his couch and look pretty. After a month, the realization dawned on me that not only did this person not actually know anything about me as a person, but he didn’t care. My mind suddenly went: “Wait a sec, did you actually start dating him because you liked him, or because you wanted
to be in a relationship?” You can probably conclude what the answer was. I won’t lie and tell you that since then I have not engaged in stupid relationships and manhunts. I did and failed many, many times. It’s only now I finally started to understand that it is important to take a chill pill and just do your thing. Love shouldn’t be a milestone. It should not weigh you down with worry. It should not be a box to check off on your life’s to-do list. Most of all, you should not feel obliged to get with someone as fast as possible just to silence others, even if that’s happening unconsciously. It should be a chance meeting that naturally weaves your lives together. And that can be achieved only if your goal is not aimed at falling in love. Just relax and take your time.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016
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OPINION CULTURE & EVENTS
Art Battle comes to Chilliwack Campus
v CREATIVE WRITING
Circles JESSICA MILLIKEN
CONTRIBUTOR
I’ve spent all weekend reading about poems and poems about poems and things about poems and poems about things and things that are like poems and poems that are like things and things that are not poems at all and how these poems don’t work with these things but how these things work with poems and poems about poems and things about poems being poems and old poems and new poems and metaphors and metaphors about metaphors and poems about metaphors and theories about how metaphors are bad but they use metaphors and how language is cheating but you can only tell me that through using language and metaphors surprise here’s another poem. Photo: Mitch Huttema
KAYLA BWD
CONTRIBUTOR
There’s a new sport coming to UFV, and it’s called the Art Battle. Artists will go head-to-head in three heats, painting a spectacular piece, each in only 20 minutes. Only one victor will emerge, and the still-wet canvasses will be auctioned off to the highest bidder. This is a new kind of spectator sport with full audience participation. The Art Battle idea originated in Toronto, but has quickly become a nation-wide phenomenon and has spawned hundreds of events. ZoË Howarth, who runs her own event planning company, facilitates the Art Battles in the Fraser Valley. This time she’s teamed up with Nancy Barker, associate professor of UFV’s hospitality and event planning program, to bring the Art Battle to UFV. The event will be a practical experience for students in the hospitality and events program, which ZoË herself graduated from, to show how versatile the program’s career paths can be. The proceeds of the night will be donated as a scholarship for a student in the hospitality and events program. The culinary department will be providing the appetizers, and UFV students get discounted admission. Two of the artists competing were eager to talk about their skills and how they got involved in the Art Battle. Sultan Jum graduated from UFV in 2016 after studying graphic design and works at Jelly Marketing as a multimedia specialist. Courtney Powell graduated from the York University in Toronto, O.N. with her bachelor of fine arts and teaches art to both adults and children. Both were willing to open up about their journey as artists and why they are competing. How did you hear about the Art Battle and why did you decide to compete? Sultan: I don’t quite remember how I got into Art Battles, but I remember for sure that my first one was at the end of the semester at UFV. Everyone was busy studying, and I was just like,
“Why not try something new?” I love challenges within my expertise. Courtney: I participated in the Vancouver Art Attack in 2015, and loved making a painting with other artists within a specific time frame. I teach painting and try to paint a little bit every day. I researched art battles throughout Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, and the Art Battle really stood out to me. Make a painting in under 20 minutes? Heck yes! Sometimes the greatest creations are made with a very strict deadline. The adrenaline pumps throughout your body and you kind of just stop thinking. I love competing because it makes me feel present in the moment and very alive. This is my first time competing in the Art Battle. How have you prepared for the Art Battle and do you have any expectations on what it will be like? Sultan: I didn’t prepare for my first Art Battle as I was too busy with classes. I didn’t have much time, so I literally went out there and started painting. [During] my first Art Battle, I really wanted to go to the washroom so I drew a baby trying to poop. Maybe too expressive, but I love what I did and [the audience] had a good laugh. As long as it's fun and the people around me support [the] artists, everything will be great! Courtney: I teach painting for a living and so I practice perspective and placement almost every day. Before the battle, I will find a composition that I particularly like. I will rehearse it mentally and ideally, physically a few times onto the canvas. Some of the greatest art is completely spur of the moment though, so we will see. I am expecting it to be challenging, fun, and exciting. Meeting the other artists will be a great experience. It is always nice to meet people who enjoy doing what you do, and hearing their processes. What kind of mediums do you work with and what genre would you describe your art as? Sultan: I personally love using a simple
mechanical pencil. You don’t have to sharpen it and you can dive into small details with it. Other than that, I love to use anything that transfers on my art piece. A piece of coal? Sure, let’s make some shadows. Lipstick? Haven’t tried yet, seems like an interesting idea. Second, I paint. Coloured pencils take a long time to transfer onto paper. You can call me impatient but it’s just that my eyes want to see the result. I love elegant styles with a lot of contrast, colour, surrealism, and anime. I tend to jump from one [style] to another, never set to one. Maybe I should make my own? Courtney: My main material is acrylic paint. I love acrylic because you can water it down and use it like watercolour. Acrylic also dries fast, so you can add lots of layers and transparency. Often I will try to incorporate other materials, such as leaves, flowers, candle wax, and paper towel. My work is a bit surrealist mixed with abstract expressionism and then dipped in realism. I love playing with dreams and many of my paintings have a particular rhythm that flows throughout the piece. Raccoons captivate me because of their mischievous nature. I also love butterflies because they remind us to fly free. Sultan and Courtney will be competing in the Art Battle along with 10 other artists. The battle will have something for everyone, from art enthusiasts to sports fans. The Art Battle begins in the UFV Trades and Technology Centre in Chilliwack at 6:30 p.m. on October 20. Tickets are $10 for students or $20 for non-students. You can also purchase wine or beer to enjoy while you cheer on local artists as they compete for glory in this creative colosseum. These interviews have been edited for length and clarity.
I’m still not caught up.
I bet you didn’t notice
this is a Haibun.
correction In last week’s issue of The Cascade, Ashley Hayes was incorrectly referred to as a trained student volunteer in the article “Student Mental Health, a silent epidemic.” Ashley is actually a full-time UFV staff member with the Peer Resource and Leadership Centre who oversees student volunteers.
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016
Diving into
deep web
the
Written by: Bradly Peters Layout by: Brittany Cardinal
Finding depravity, anarchy, and social justice in the darkest corners of the internet
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2016
The “deep web” is a slimy cave for geeks and ghouls, a place for drug peddlers and perverts to fester, away from the light of decent society. This is the narrative we hear, if we hear anything at all about the so-called deep web. But what exactly is this dangerous place? Is its only purpose to harbour criminals, or is another narrative left unspoken by mainstream media? By entering the deep web I thought I would witness the darkest underbelly of humanity, the sin that surfaces when all of the lights go out. I was right. But I didn’t realize that experiencing this secret side of society would shake my ideology, leaving me to question the meaning of the word freedom, and how much I’m willing to pay for it. The world is a dark and dangerous place, full of people lurking in shadows waiting to steal your kidneys. I heard this story a few times growing up. My uncle Karl, leaning in the kitchen doorway slurping a Budweiser through his goatee, would hoarsely declare that someone, somewhere was waking up in a motel ice bath with their kidneys missing, kidneys that would be sold on the black market. One thing my childhood taught me is the value of a good kidney. The black market had an elusive mystique for me growing up. I imagined James Bond meandering through an empty alleyway, moonlight reflected in the wet pavement. He pushes aside a dumpster covering a hole in the back wall, drops down, and enters a sprawling marketplace full of steam and shady characters; kidneys hang from metal stalls like chicken. I never questioned what these people wanted with all of these kidneys. I figured it had to do with kidney stones or some other adult mystery; adults knew everything. Today, rumours of a new enigmatic underground are being whispered behind closed doors. They’re calling it the deep web — an unsanctioned internet where anonymity is sacrosanct and anything goes. Picture an apocalyptic cyberspace, impenetrable by the authorities, lurking just below the surface of our computer screens.
face filled the screen. Something felt disturbing about her, the eyes were lifeless, but she blinked and looked side to side. I realized it was CGI, not a real person, but it looked so damn convincing. “I won’t tell you my name,” she said. Her voice was soft and feminine, but choppy, and I realized that it was computer-generated also. “I need to tell someone about my job.” This girl works as a media screener for Vimeo. She filters submissions to the Vimeo website, flagging inappropriate videos. This is a common job for people in poor countries such as India and Bangladesh. The videos these poor people are subjected to are horrific. Many of these workers suffer PTSD and are paid slave wages. I soon discovered another side of the deep web. There is a thriving community of political dissidents and activists in this secretive part of the internet. Innumerable messaging boards with thousands of participants speaking passionately about various political and philosophical topics. “These forums are a better community than I’ve ever seen in real life,” says “X,” a vendor on a massive online drug market known as “The Silk Road.” “Sure there are illegal things going on, but this is a place of discussion for like-minded people.” Discussions on these forums range from the war on drugs, to political corruption, to human rights. People from dictatorships such as China and North Korea come to this part of the internet to speak freely about their country, without fear of being monitored. Syrian journalists use the deep web every day to hide their actions from Syria’s corrupt regime. WikiLeaks accepts submission of hacked and secret information directly from the deep web. Many users express the sentiment that humanity is in a direct and ongoing battle with overwhelming scrutiny and surveillance from the government. Anonymity in the deep web is a defence against what they see as total state power — think George Orwell, 1984. They seem to have a fairly convincing aWrgument. Every time you use the internet, your information is logged by your service provider (Google, let’s say), collected, and sold to
One thing my childhood taught me is the value of a good kidney. If it truly exists, this shady underworld of black market kidney stalls, then I feel obligated to see it for myself. My investigation of the deep web begins like any oblivious layman’s: with a Google search. The internet most people use every day, websites like Google and Facebook, comprises less than one per cent of the information available on the web, according to CNN article, The Deep Web You Don’t Know About, by Jose Pagliery. This one percent is referred to as the surface web. The other 99 per cent is buried beneath that surface. This can be anything from emails to political chat rooms to websites selling computer hacking software, and much more. You access the hidden part of the web by downloading a search engine called TOR. TOR was designed for the U.S. government; it works by bouncing your IP address to different locations around the globe, creating multiple protective layers of encryption on your computer’s IP address. TOR is actually a stripped-down version of Firefox; aesthetically, it’s like an old ‘90s search engine. Accessing this part of the internet is no joke. The FBI, law enforcements, ISP (internet service provider), and other government agencies are tracking people who use TOR, especially those who use it to access the shady areas of the deep web, areas known as the “dark web.” I decided to take my anonymity very seriously. I stretched the waistband of an old pair of boxer-briefs over the top of my computer screen to cover the camera, plugged the microphone port with toilet paper, took a deep breath and dove down the rabbit hole. There are thousands of online marketplaces in the deep web / dark web. They function similar to eBay, with numerous categories for every kind of drug, from hash to pure liquid Krokodil (AKA the zombie drug), weapons, fake passports, stolen credit card information, and even assassins. There are websites allowing access to hacked computer webcams, pirated media, or illegal pornography. I clicked a web-link that brought me to an independent website created for one solitary video. The screen was black, with no title or synopsis, only a white play arrow. A close up shot of a woman’s
marketers and corporations, resulting in online advertisements tailored to your preferences. Edward Snowden, the notorious whistleblower, revealed that governments have long had the ability to monitor conversations using a smartphone’s microphone, even when the phone is turned off. Some may argue that this lack of privacy provides security, but at what cost? I closed my TOR browser and pulled the toilet paper out of the microphone jack. It was the early hours of the morning; I had spent all night researching political dissidents and reading deep web forums. Autumn moonlight slipped through my back wall window, permeating the air with ghosts. My underwear hung across the top of the monitor, and I hesitated before tugging it off. The tiny camera lens peered unblinkingly above the computer’s glow. I folded it silently shut and was alone in the darkness. What is freedom? We live in a time that is caught between two ideologies. Some desire security, freedom from the rot that blisters in the dark corners of humanity, but to achieve it, they sacrifice their identity to the powers that be. People willingly submit to state control, hoping to be groomed and well kept. Others fight for privacy, freedom from government mastery and Big Brother’s watchful eye, but this plight for the privilege of secrecy comes with its own dire consequences. An anonymous internet provides a haven for criminals and pedophiles. Perhaps there is a third option: We live our lives. The dark web is a pock on society, but if the alternative is not having a secret space for the underclass to speak truth to power and shine light on the treacheries of our governance, then I don’t know if it’s worth fighting against. Perhaps the dark web is a necessary evil, or perhaps it’s simply evil. It’s up to each of us to have our own ideology, and to live accordingly. As for me, I deleted TOR from my computer. I have no desire to return to that cave and visit those ghouls, but I like knowing that they’re out there, just below the surface of our everyday lives, engaging in cyber warfare for what they believe in, fighting for their sense of freedom, and for ours. “Non-conformity is the only real passion worth being ruled by.” – Julian Assange, creator of WikiLeaks
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016
www.ufvcascade.ca
CULTURE & EVENTS v FASHION COLUMN
Affordable, comfortable fashion, courtesy of sweaters RACHEL TAIT
CONTRIBUTOR
Julia Dovey has been going to UFV for four years now, working towards a bachelor of arts (BA) with a creative writing concentration. She is also looking forward to attending graduate school after finishing her BA. Julia describes her style as comfortable, saying, "If I could live on sweaters, I would." She always wears jeans and socks, and thinks that the funkier and fuzzier the socks, the better they are. There are a lot of things Julia likes about sweaters, such as their loose fit that hides any imperfections. She also enjoys their versatility, and says that you can have any design (maybe a giant happy face!) on them and they still look good. Being a student, Julia's studies are her first priority, and it's important to have comfortable clothes to get you through the long hours of studying, as well
as life in general. The beautiful pink, black, and white striped sweater Julia wore to our interview was actually a treasure she found at a thrift store. As students, budgeting is always a challenge, especially with the cost of tuition, textbooks, bills, food, and everything else, so Julia finds thrift shopping as a student-friendly alternative to buying brand new clothes at the mall. Sweaters have been an iconic piece for decades, and come in a wonderful variety of patterns, weaves, lengths, and materials. In a rough fisherman's knit they're casual and laid back, in cashmere they're soft and refined, and in cable knit they're just plain classic. Sweaters are one of the easiest items to update a closet with, and they can be found virtually anywhere. So bundle up this fall and winter, as sweaters are still very much in style! Photo: Alexandrah Pahl
UFV students help both charity and their grades JEFF MIJO
THE CASCADE
In the coming weeks, two different groups of UFV students from two different classes will be promoting social good as part of their required classwork, and they’re going all out to make the most of it. Vaneet Sharma, a student in Philosophy 110: Morality and Politics, is the spokesperson for a group that was tasked with using just $20 to do the maximum amount of social good. His team decided they could make the most impact by running a raffle in support of the SPCA, spending the money on prizes to incentivize donations. Every Tuesday from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. until November 8, they will be set up in or near the library rotunda, trying to draw attention to their cause in exchange for prizes — and they’re also bringing a dog to help draw attention and remind people of whom the SPCA helps. While the group doesn’t have a set goal for their fundraiser, Sharma said that his group hopes to raise “anything more than $0,” and joked that even if you don’t care about animals, you can still chip in any amount to enter the raffle while helping nonetheless. The prizes include movie passes, a basket of items from Blackwood Building Centre, and a Sephora gift card. However, this isn’t the only course this semester to encourage students to take their learning outside of the classroom this way. Business 408: Teamwork in Organizations divided students into groups and asked them to host an event, either on or off campus, which
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Photo: Martin Ranninger
promotes social good in some form. In the past, this has included a mini library in a park and a school chess tournament, but Yalda Dashti, Tess Frey, and Sam Sall decided to take a more active route — literally. They’re organizing a dodgeball tournament, open to students, faculty, and staff, as what Dashti calls a “great stress reliever for students around exam time.” The event is also supporting the Abbotsford Food Bank, with participants asked to bring either nonperishable food items or monetary donations. "We wanted to support the Abbotsford Food Bank because our event will be hosted near the holidays," Dashti explained, "which is one of the busiest times for the food bank." The event will take place on November 10 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and anyone interested can learn more by contacting ufvdodge@gmail.com. The team hopes to get faculty involved so that they can “have some fun with a professor vs. student competition.” Dashti also spoke about the support from the UFV community, saying they “reached out to SUS, specifically Thanh Ma, who helped guide us in where we should look for funding / promotional help.” UFV International is also helping promote the event. The dodgeball tournament and SPCA raffle are just some of the many events held on campus to support a wide range of charities, and if these two are any indication, UFV's professors are doing their part to encourage participation and community throughout the school.
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016
CULTURE & EVENTS
UFV Theatre brings Possible Worlds to the stage
UPCOMING EVENTS
OCT.19
Scholarly Sharing: From Autonomy to Mars @ U-House 1:15 PM - 2:45 PM
OCT.20
Discoveries Speaker Series: Dr. Simon Springer @ A413 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM Art Battle @ Trades and Technology Centre 6:30 PM - 10:00 PM UFV Theatre: Possible Worlds opening night @ UFV Performance Theatre 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM
OCT.24
Alumni Expert Panel: Avian Influenza @ Gathering Place - CEP 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
OCT.25
The Future of our Cities rapid-fire presentations @ Great Hall 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
OCT.26
Diwali - Festival of Light @ Clarke Theatre 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
SPORTS SCORES & GAMES Photo: Darren McDonald
JOEL ROBERTSON-TAYLOR
THE CASCADE
The story of possibilities and imagination, of love and morals, Possible Worlds, put on by the UFV theatre reveals the intricacies of parallel worlds in a sci-fi, murder mystery production. The play is about the mind, and it begins with George Barber who is found in the first scene, dead, and missing his brain. Possible Worlds, directed by Noel Funk, is UFV’s first production of the 2016/17 season. This is Noel’s first time directing a full length play, but he has experience as a director in UFV’s Director Showcase. Having about a month of rehearsal time, Noel, the cast, and the crew have spent long hours working eagerly on their performance to bring Noel’s vision to the stage. The play itself was written by Canadian mathematical philosopher John Mighton, who has written several plays as well as taught and lectured on mathematics at the University of Toronto and McMasters University. Within his play are a considerable amount of philosophical ponderings related to his work in mathematical fields. The play dramatically incorporates imaginable possibilities into the world of the real. “I see it as a progression toward both realization and insanity,” Funk said. “Particularly for George, but also for the detectives, because that’s an entirely different world. It’s a progression through a loss of hope and then to discovery.” In Possible Worlds, two detectives attempt
to find a serial killer who steals brains while George and his lover Joyce play out their multiple possible realities throughout the scenes. The show is nonlinear, with scenes disrupted by one another and each taking on a life of its own as they progress through the show. Additionally, there are clever surprises embedded throughout the play. Choreographed into the characters are subtle oddities that suggest something might be not quite right. “I’m a huge fan of misdirection,” said Funk. “I tried to bring my appreciation of misdirection into this performance aswell, just to keep people on their toes.” The costumes were designed by Riley Ellis, who is also designing the set for Seven Stories and assistant directing Bakkhai later in the season. To connect the parallel worlds and scenes together, details were added to each costume to emphasize the themes. “George and Joyce are wearing grey jackets, and I’ve decided to tie their worlds together with blood, so they’ve got red on them as well, as do the detectives,” Funk said. “My biggest thing for costumes and hair and makeup was clean and crisp, and I think they achieved that pretty well,” he added. The set, which was designed by Matt Piton, showcases different worlds, each created in part through unique lighting. The world of the detectives is illuminated by a darker, chocolaty glow while George and his lover exist in a purple hue. The overall styling of the set is of
the film noir world, mostly old-fashioned. It’s tied together with two large white drapes and a minimalist construction. The show will also use floor projection which is a new feature to the UFV theatre. Stage manager Maria Buganska has intently kept her cast focused and, unlike the characters, all in the same world. She mentioned that her role has largely been herding casts, which is apparently very similar to herding cats, both phonetically and semantically. Even though there are multiple versions of George and Joyce, they exist together no matter what. The play asks a lot of questions, and so will the audience. It touches on themes of love and emotions and the morality of exploring the brain. “So that’s why it’s called Possible Worlds,” Buganska said. “We go into all these different realities of George because he’s many people in many worlds at the same time.” Although the cast and crew have been lacking for student involvement, they seem to have again poured themselves into their work and pulled together another intriguing UFV production. “I have spend too many fucking hours in this theatre for you not to come see it. So come see the show because it’s wonderfully mind-bending and will probably keep you up until 3 a.m. and you’ll get funny dreams,” Maria added. “It’ll be great.” Possible Worlds runs from October 20 – 30 at the UFV Chilliwack north campus theatre.
Scores MENS BASKETBALL: Oct. 15 UFV Cascades vs. Lethbridge Pronghorns L 91-79 WOMENS BASKETBALL: Oct. 14 UFV Cascades vs. UBC Thunderbirds L 84-62 Oct. 15 UFV Cascades vs. Capilano Blues W 54-40 MENS SOCCER: Oct. 15 UFV Cascades vs. UBCO Heat W 1-0 Oct. 16 UFV Cascades vs. TRU Wolfpack W 2-0 WOMENS SOCCER: Oct. 14 UFV Cascades vs. UVic Vikes W 2-1 Oct. 15 UFV Cascades vs. UBC Thunderbirds W 1-0 MENS VOLLEYBALL: Oct. 15 UFV Cascades vs. Capilano Blues W 3-1 WOMENS VOLLEYBALL: Oct. 15 UFV Cascades vs. Capilano Blues L 3-0
Upcoming games WOMENS BASKETBALL: Oct. 21 5:30 p.m. UFV Cascades vs. Lewis-Clark State Warriors (away) Oct. 22 2:00 p.m. UFV Cascades vs. Lewis-Clark State Warriors (away) MENS SOCCER: Oct. 21 8:00 p.m. UFV Cascades vs. UNBC Timberwolves (home) Oct. 22 8:00 p.m. UFV Cascades vs. UNBC Timberwolves (home) WOMENS SOCCER: Oct. 21 5:30 p.m. UFV Cascades vs. Calgary Dinos (home) Oct. 22 5:30 p.m. UFV Cascades vs. Lethbridge Pronghorns (home) MENS VOLLEYBALL: Oct. 20 8:00 p.m. UFV Cascades vs. CBC Bearcats (away) Oct. 21 8:00 p.m. UFV Cascades vs. CBC Bearcats (home) WOMENS VOLLEYBALL: Oct. 20 6:00 p.m. UFV Cascades vs. CBC Bearcats (away) Oct. 21 6:00 p.m. UFV Cascades vs. CBC Bearcats (home)
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016
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ARTS IN REVIEW MOVIE REVIEW
Don’t hold your breath for Don’t Breathe
Shuffle AARON LEVY STATION MANAGER
As of this writing, the Toronto Blue Jays, of Toronto, are on the brink of elimination at the hands of the evil Cleveland Indigenous Epithets. Here is a shuffle that I'll smile on later on if we don't end up “losing.”
Modest Mouse Bury Me With It One of the better songs off of Modest Mouse's return to “form” in 2004, this song talks about finding your way for a while and then being that close to giving up for lack of success. "We're hummingbirds who've lost the plot." Foreshadowing the disappointing ensuing career for Isaac Brock. Radio Head Nude "Now that you've found it, it's gone, and now that you feel it, you don't, you've gone off the rails. Don't you get any big ideas. They're not going to happen." Well, that just about sums up the Blue Jays season now, doesn't it? And I thought Brits liked football. Green Day Nice Guys Finish Last Shockingly un-shuffled upon researching historic Cascade editions, it's not even a top anything favourite Green Day song. However, the video was effective in the ‘90s, and it fits with our theme. Though the Jays aren't exactly “nice guys,” nor did they finish last. They're still struggling, or going home. Michael Giacchino Lost (Full soundtrack) Kind of like a 162 game season plus playoffs in a year where your team does not prevail in order to take home the hardware promised to championship ascending groups of competitive athletes, the program Giacchino's emblematic score was created for should be viewed in entirety — except the last episode.
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CHARTS 1
Preoccupations Preoccupations
2
A Tribe Called Red We Are the Halluci Nation
3 4 5
Sad13 Slugger Majid Jordan Majid Jordan Blessed Blessed
6
Kishi Bashi Sonderlust
7
Jay Arner Jay II
8
Against Me! Shape Shift With Me
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La Sera Music For Listening To Music To
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Hot Panda Bad Pop
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Eleanore Eleanore
12
Cheap High Picture Disk
13 14
Phantogram Three Red Velvert Russian Roulette
15
FT Island Where's The Truth
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Elephant Stone Little Ship Of Fools
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Harpdog Brown Travelin' With The Blues
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Sunday Wilde Blueberries and Grits
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Al Lerman Slow Burn
20
Ghost Popestar
JOEL ROBERTSON-TAYLOR THE CASCADE
Making a good thriller is tough. I assume this at least, because most are terrible. Don’t Breathe, however, is an above average psychological thriller loaded with cheap jump-scares and cringe-worthy routines. The movie itself, directed by Fede Alvarez, does succeed at being a thriller, although it doesn’t tell a great story. Don’t Breathe builds from utterly cliché beginnings and, thankfully, develops into something moderately unique. The premise follows three teen burglars who plan their final, ultimate robbery of a house in an abandoned Detroit neighbourhood. According to a vague folktale, a blind old war vet living by himself in a degraded ghetto for some reason sits on a buttload of cash and doesn’t keep it in the bank. Shortly after the opening scene, a tasty flash forward of horrors to come, and a few minutes of getting to know the protagonists, we find ourselves locked in a house with an old blind man and lots of really bad luck. They can get in but they can’t get out — surprise. I went into this movie blind (pun intended), not at all aware of what it was going to be about. It turned out to have a kind of meta feel to it because I really felt like I was part of the cast: like one of the three youngsters, I couldn’t get out soon enough. While the suspenseful plot development made the film tolerable, the silliness of the premise did everything it could to tear itself apart. Unique to this thriller is that the antagonist, the blind man, is actually somewhat disadvantaged to the three youngsters — he can’t see anything. The protagonists do their very best to sneak past Daredevil’s creepy evil uncle, attempting multiple times to escape their botched robbery, and yet despite their advantage, they just can't get out of that darn house. Rather than supernatural powers like his thriller-movie-antagonist
contemporaries, his strength comes from playing on his home turf, but the playing field is levelled by his lack of sight — sort of. Despite this, apparently even though he can’t hear them walk right past him, he can hear them breathing from across the room well enough to shoot bullets holes through the believability. The movie is little more than a buffet of jumpy scares and genre-specific cheap tricks. Its major redeeming quality is the cinematography itself. Multiple action shots (nightvision once the lights go out) and sweeping camera angles that build suspense much like the way creaking floorboards and sudden quietness does, creates the space for a thrilling intimacy. In developing the second act, for instance, the camera glides through the house, foreshadowing dangers and emphasizing the tight, nowhere-to-run nature of the house, adding even more claustrophobia to the theme. Going back to the thrill of the movie, Alvarez fills scenes with the constant suspense of impending danger and the frequent release of of that tension. Obviously, this was the intention of the movie, and gauging by the gasps and screams in the theatre it was a success. Ultimately, if you don’t like movies where everyone does the thing you tell them not to do, then you may not enjoy Don’t Breathe. Watching Don’t Breathe is an exercise in patience and tolerance for stupidity. The cast was more frustrating than anything, and while this is a trait common to horror / thriller films it would be nice to see some logical decision making. If you want to feel uncomfortable about turkey basters for the rest of your live, you won’t leave unfulfilled. While it makes a noble attempt to thrill — and it does do that — so much of the movie’s enjoyability was lost to plot holes. Beyond the typical suspension of disbelief required for a psychological thriller of this sort, Don’t Breathe asks you to do what too many horror films seem to do: stop thinking.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016
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ARTS IN REVIEW ALBUM REVIEW
Lewis Del Mar is an aesthetic contradiction MARTIN CASTRO THE CASCADE
You can trace almost every individual aesthetic element found within Lewis Del Mar’s self-titled debut back to a specific album or band present within the late-2000s to early-2010s alternative / indie scene. That’s not a slight towards the New York folk-pop duo comprised of singer / guitarist Danny Miller and drummer / producer Max Hardwood. A band like them was bound to turn up eventually. Think of Interpol. Turn On The Bright Lights is immediately reminiscent of Joy Division and The Smiths. To a certain extent, this is how innovation happens. In the case of Lewis Del Mar, you can’t not think of mid-2000s indie acts. (Alt-J, anyone?) It’s not all indie rehashed, though. The most interesting thing about the record is that its influences are clear and present and all over the map. “Malt Liquor” is a strangely satisfying blend of the Caribbean-influenced beats present in R&B music, the kind of picked guitar lines you’d find in an Alexi Murdoch record, and slouchy, reverbladen production. The track devolves into a hectic little interlude which sees instrumentals being cut haphazardly, percussion and distortion floating on by in waves. If you want to learn how to take in what others have done, and (very clearly) let it inform your work while still retaining independence from the haze of all-too-similar artists jumping on bandwagons, Lewis Del Mar is a perfect example of how to take already-established trends and twist them into an original collection of tracks. Start with “Tap Water Drinking.” The bass
line is the kind of thing I’d expect Breakbot to put out, all funk, no nonsense. That, coupled with a straightforward acoustic guitar on top of very measured percussion (which at the same time somehow manages to effectively sneak sleigh bells in during the pre-chorus) all come together to make a track that straddles three genres and yet doesn’t seem out of its depth. Also, halfway through it devolves into a tribal-esque exchange between various forms of percussion and a ridiculously distorted synthesizer, all amid what seem like random stock noise effects. And all this somehow leads up to a pretty great guitar solo. With all these musical puzzle pieces being stitched together, you might wonder, is there actual novelty that Lewis Del Mar bring to the table? Well, there is. That novelty comes mostly but not exclusively by way of Miller’s vaguely gravelly vocals. There’s a really subtle shakiness to his delivery which most often works in his favour, particularly on tracks like “Puerto Cabezas, NI,” and “Loud(y).” “Islands” is probably the most uncharacteristically calm track on the record. Aided by almost overly bittersweet melodies which pop in and out of the background seemingly at random, the song makes use of piano and a stereotypical pop-ballad structure, except it doesn’t really build up to anything, instead opting to sort of sizzle out with a lone kick pedal and guitar note that seemed almost an afterthought. Lewis Del Mar’s debut is sort of a contradiction: novel, yet unsettlingly familiar. If anything, it shows just how little you actually have to stray from established aesthetics to cobble together a fresh and engaging record.
BOOK REVIEW
UFV professor surveys Canadian Conservatism in new book BRADLEY PETERS THE CASCADE
Being a Tory used to mean so much more than adhering to the staunch belief in capitalism and self-sustainability that has commandeered the conservative ideology. Why do some modern conservatives feel at war with their ethics and Christian values? How have industry and independence become the darlings of a political group that subscribes to a religion of acceptance and understanding? Can modern Tories look toward their past in order to realign with their values? This is the question that Ron Dart, associate professor of political science at UFV, asks in his new book, The North American High Tory Tradition. Dart is a firm believer that wisdom is garnered through history. “If we see farther than our ancestors,” Dart writes, quoting the 12thcentury theologian John of Salisbury, “then it is because we stand on the shoulders of giants.” Dart uses this philosophy to draw inspiration from Canadian philosophers and political commentators to present a manifesto of what it means to be a Christian and a conservative in Canada.
20th-century Canadian philosopher George Grant is a major figure in Dart’s work. In 1965, Grant penned one of Canada’s most biting criticisms of modern conservatism, Lament for a Nation, which Dart uses to reinforce his message. As a philosopher, building from the crystallized work of historical figures is paramount to progress, but as an author, drawing a comparison to someone as gifted as George Grant can be detrimental. The language in Dart’s book lacks personality at times. The narrator’s voice is authoritative when declaring a fact or recounting history but becomes flowery and loose when delving into exposition. “The ecclesial journey into the future must surely oppose both fragmentary forces at work in modern and postmodern forms of Christianity that erode, yet further, the centre and the increasing fragmentation that so defines and besets liberal modernity,” Dart writes. When compared to the raw authenticity of Lament for a Nation and the strong prose of George Grant, Dart isn’t so much standing on the shoulder of a giant as he is struggling in the shadow of one. That isn’t to say Dart hasn’t accomplished a great feat in his own right. The North American High Tory Tradition succeeds in bringing
the conversation on North America’s founding ideology into modern times. U.S. republicans and Canadian conservatives are reeling from political party leaders like George Bush and Stephen Harper, leaders who, as Dart argues, represent the antithesis of traditional Tory values. Coinciding with a catastrophic American election for the U.S. Republican Party, the timing of Dart’s literary scrutiny of conservatism is impeccable. The depth of research involved in crafting The North American High Tory Tradition is impressive. Dart’s life’s work has formed him into the premier authority on Tory ideology. Ron Dart has garnered himself a position in the ranks of great modern Canadian non-fiction authors such as Naomi Klein. “[Canadians] must be wary of any public agenda that reduces the political vision of the church to the ideology of the right, left or centre,” reads the final chapter of The North American High Tory Tradition. “It is by articulating a more consistent ethical stance that the church is true to her prophetic calling.” Anyone battling with the ethics of modern conservatism, interested in Canada’s rich and diverse political history, or contemplating the role of faith in contemporary politics should read Ron Dart’s book.
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016
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ARTS IN REVIEW
S undBites
Lisa Hannigan
Pixies
At Swim
Head Carrier At first, I wasn’t really in the mood to listen to the Pixies’ new album, Head Carrier. But then I got in the mood and the album was pretty enjoyable, and kind of odd. “Here’s a band I haven’t really listened to in a while,” I said to myself as I reclined back to listen to 34 minutes of music by the band who influenced so many of the musicians I’ve liked. Although I never listened to much of the Pixies’ earlier stuff, I could hear a lot of what is often attributed to the Pixies in their own music. Their sound is caught in a transition between genres. Songs “Um Chagga Lagga” and “Baal’s Back” carry some indifferent punk energy and it’s all definitely alternative in nature; there are plenty of surf and garage rock elements in songs like
Mini album reviews
“Oona” to remain within the genre that they helped create. Spiffy guitar sounds make up a lot of each song, and while the lyrics are nothing to be excited about, there are lyrics. The album isn’t anything new or unique, but the band may have managed to time an album well. For some younger listeners, in Head Carrier they may find a lot of the elements that they like about so many of the indie bands who are currently popular. Head Carrier sounds like an opportunity to find new fans in an era populated by bands whose path was forged by the Pixies. It sounds like the Pixies to me — maybe a bit too selfplagiaristic — but it suits a lot of today’s indie / alternative music.
I often turn to the radio to find new music. I can listen passively while I drive and record the tracks that I enjoy. While listening to CBC Radio 2's The Signal, Laurie Brown revealed to me "Lo" by Lisa Hannigan, which set me on the trail for the rest of her album, At Swim. It turns out that this is the kind of music you listen to when you're sitting in the early morning and all the house and everything outside is still quiet, or for sitting on your porch and staring into the pouring rain of a fresh storm, or maybe to put on in the background while you sit in bed in your dimly lit room and read yourself to sleep. There's a touch of Hannigan's Irish roots in her music, but nothing that is a dead giveaway. I can't quite put my finger on anything that leads me to say it sounds like
Joel Robertson-Taylor
Atrocity Exhibition
Sciences Nouvelles
seems, at first listen, to be explicitly out of place. The biggest thing Duchess Says has going for them is their adherence to the catchy rhythm-based hooks they set forth early in songs. That, and the fact that some tracks are more straightforwardly punk — guitar and bass and drums at the forefront — and others are more electronic, full of loops and ‘80s-ish synth frills which, oddly enough, all manage to come together somewhat coherently. Martin Castro
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Mitch Huttema
Danny Brown
Duchess Says Sciences Nouvelles, the latest album from Montreal punk band Duchess Says, sounds like a warped, 1980s Frankenstein baby. Pushed forward by the opener “Inertia,” the record spirals through a space filled with palm-muted, fuzzed out guitar and bass, and a synthesizer used to supply the most surprising melodies into what’s essentially a straightforward punk structure: all downstrokes and tight rhythm section. Songs like “Negative Thoughts” exemplify this melding through the insertion of a keyboard melody during the chorus that
it has Irish roots, but if you give the album a listen, you'll note the way she plays the guitar and the persistent drum beats she employs are reminiscent of the folk dance songs that I understand are related with Irish culture. Lisa Hannigan sounds a lot like First Aid Kit in terms of style, but her voice sounds a lot more like Bjork or maybe even Joanna Newsom. However, Rhye is definitely the most similar artist to Hannigan in general. With a history of working with Damien Rice and having had this album produced by Aaron Dessner of The National, Hannigan draws on a well-earned well of experience in the alternative genre. At Swim is easy to listen to, melancholy in general but filled with a sort of fleeting beauty as demonstrated in "Anahorish."
Danny Brown’s latest record seems to have been made with the knowledge that staying on the experimental, endearingly wacky path he carved out on XXX wouldn’t necessarily lead to mainstream success. This said, if there’s one song that you ought to listen to if you’re looking for proof of Atrocity Exhibition’s charisma, listen to “Really Doe.” Atrocity Exhibition is perhaps most impressive when placed alongside the material released by Danny Brown’s contemporaries. The soundscape of the
record is brooding and dark and in contrast to 2013’s Old, Brown’s growth is definitely apparent in terms of focus. On Atrocity Exhibition, the Detroit rapper has taken his simultaneously aggressive and playful trademark style, and refined it. And the end product delves deeper into the pockets of the cartoonish thuggery (“too much coke, take a sniff need a ski-lift”) that made XXX such an appealing breakout project to begin with.
Martin Castro
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016
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ARTS IN REVIEW CONCERT REVIEW
Socially awkward and a bit anxious? Andy Shauf gets that Andy Shauf performs for the second time in a year at the Fox Cabaret
MITCH HUTTEMA THE CASCADE / PHOTOS
You may know — you elusive, consistent reader, you — that earlier this year The Cascade published a review of Andy Shauf's last performance in Vancouver at the Fox Cabaret. Now this year he has returned to the same town in the same venue. I thought it would be interesting to compare the two shows, to look at his growth over the past year, and determine if there was any change. Over the past year, I have heard Shauf's music make its way into coffee shops, pubs, and gain more radio play than he has seen before. I assumed this would likely lead to a larger audience and a more diverse crowd. In contrast to his show last year, the audience seemed to be made up of more than just his die-hard fans. It was a tough call to tell the difference between indifference or an unfamiliarity with his music when there was only scattered applause each time the band broke from the melody of a song into a jam session. It is easy to understand why indifference could have been a problem, over unfamiliarity. I believe that indifference is often confused with a lack of confidence. Sometimes you don't want to raise your hand in class when a prof asks a question you know the answer to because you don't want the attention. I get that. My hunch is that those who love Andy Shauf — myself included — do so because we are sad and he knows how to sing the words and makes the sounds that coincide with the feelings we feel. With lyrics like “Why do I always find the worst in you, do you always find the worst in me?” and “It's not as bad as it seems” you get the feeling that Shauf might be going through the same thing as you. His words are sweet sounding but his lyrics
are poignant and melancholy, arousing peace and calm in the listener while still allowing them to reflect on the sad, dark things he speaks of. If the audience had really been indifferent, I assume they would not have gone through the effort of packing themselves, body against sweaty body, into the Fox Cabaret, a tiny, stinky, sticky venue that was once a porn theatre, thick with hot air that stung a little as it went down. Unlike the show from earlier this year, the room wasn't as transfixed as he opened his set. Rather than complete silence as before, it sounded like several people were carrying on their conversations, unphased by the performance — typical Vancouver protocol, but in a small venue with a limited capability for the volume of the band, this tends to be a big deal. I could tell the heat was getting to people, and that Andy's penetrating awkwardness was in fact mirrored in the makeup of the crowd. During his performance of "Early to the Party," a song about the tragedy of showing up to a party before you are welcome and generally having a hard time fitting in, I watched a man shuffle past me shortly after Shauf sang "Excuse yourself and smoke a cigarette outside." The real secret to Shauf's appeal is his nervous demeanour and his desire to please the audience when he performs. He's a true bred sweetheart; he timidly asked for water which the crowd parted for as it was delivered to him, and he brought attention to and thanked his parents, who were present at the show. "I've never sweated this much in my life," he side-grinned into the mic at one point. I'm still not sure if he spoke this to the audience or to his band. He seemed awkward and not sure who to address for fear of acceptance.
There was a climax of confidence, though, as Shauf finished his set with "The Magician." The loud, angry guitar lunged in and completely changed the atmosphere of the whole venue. There was screaming, shouting, and confident chorus to round off the performance. Shauf exited, only to return, of course, minutes later for an encore as his freshly aroused fans cheered him back to the stage. "Awe, thank you," he said before intro-congratulating his band and crew and then finishing the night with his murder-suicide ballad "Wendell Walker.” Only the bartender made noise with his tips as a last few desperate people tried to beat the last call. The silence of his previous show returned. Transfixed, and with no phones raised, the audience took in the final few seconds of the set. A spotlight was turned to Andy's face as his band rested in the violent red glow of the lights beside him. "My son, my son, she is the devil's child," he whisper-sang to a silent theatre. The show slowly ceased as the song faded from recognisability and into a righteous, yet mellow improvisation by all four members elaborating upon one another until nearly in chaos. Shauf ’s guitar rang out alone at last, the grounding of it buzzing in the air of silence. While the audience had started as a cautious, possibly nervous group, they finished raucous and enthusiastic, with all apprehensions removed. It seems that Andy Shauf has the capability through his melancholy and timid music to create connection and harvest confidence from an audience of listeners that are each just as anxious and self-conscious about showing up early to the party as Andy himself.
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ART
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016
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OF THE
MONTH Submissions & questions can be sent to jeff@ufvcascade.ca
Submissions are due Friday, October 31th Limit of three submissions per person, per month Submissions must have been created within 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
Text and images must be submitted as separate files, with all images in CMYK format, 300+ DPI, and less than 5 MB.
Published on Oct 19, 2016
The Cascade is the University of the Fraser Valley's autonomous student newspaper, and has been since 1993.
