The Cascade Vol. 25 No. 3

JANUARY 18 TO JANUARY 24, 2017

VOLUME 25 ISSUE 3

Free pizza since 1993

Writer in Residence UFV has announced that Jordan Abel will be the new writer in residence, along with the implementation of Literary Arts Week.

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More funding for CBC Should CBC see an increase in public funding?

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Dirk Gently Dirk Gently is pretty cool but it’s also kinda absurd.

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Hops pg. 10-11

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2017

EDITORIAL

Re-evaluating activism You don’t have to be interested, but you have to be informed VANESSA BROADBENT

“you no longer have to go out of your way to be informed, you have to go out of your way to be uninformed”

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

University students are generally portrayed as overzealous social justice warriors, usually bordering on slightly annoying. Maybe it’s because of this stereotype, but I’ve always found myself trying to tone it down, trying not to be the one that won’t stop preaching feminism and environmental issues, or shoving politics down everyone’s throats. It’s got to be better to keep my mouth shut than be “that person,” the one that everyone rolls their eyes at every time they bring up whatever it is they’re currently crusading for — not because we don’t agree but because we already do agree.

But I recently learned that there is something worse than being “that person”: being the person that doesn’t care at all, and makes no effort at all to be informed.

I didn’t think that this person really existed in the university setting. I know that not everyone knows everything about every issue or has developed their own opinions, but part of attending university is learning, not only to learn skills to get a job, but to learn about issues facing our culture, our society.

But I was caught off guard when the issue of pipelines came up in one of my classes last week, to which one of my assigned group mates responded with “Umm, people actually still care about this?” and proceeded to disregard and even slightly belittle the opinions of group members that did, regardless of the stance they took.

It’s not that everyone has to care about pipelines, I know plenty of people that really don’t, but there’s a duty, a social responsibility, to at least read the occasional news article and stay

informed on an issue that can nearly define the results of an entire election, an issue that people are not only advocating for but dedicating their lives to.

Apathy, especially among the university demographic, seems to have become something that we’re just used to. Protests, rallies, all the things that defined activism in the ‘60s and ‘70s are a thing of the past and advocacy today looks more like updating your location on Facebook to being in Standing Rock than actually heading to Standing Rock.

But at least the over one million people that took to social media knew that something was going on at Standing Rock, and while their efforts may not have had much of an impact, it at

STAFF

CONTRIUBUTORS

Editor-in-Chief Vanessa Broadbent vanessa@ufvcascade.ca

Culture & Events Editor Jeff Mijo jeff@ufvcascade.ca

Managing Editor Joel Robertson-Taylor joel@ufvcascade.ca

Arts in Review Editor Martin Castro martin@ufvcascade.ca

Business Manager Quintin Stamler quintin@ufvcascade.ca

Production Manager Brittany Cardinal brittany@ufvcascade.ca

Copy Editor Kat Marusiak kat@ufvcascade.ca

Online Editor Tanya Vanpraseuth tanya@ufvcascade.ca

News Editor Joel Robertson-Taylor joel@ufvcascade.ca

Features Editor Bradley Peters brad@ufvcascade.ca

Opinion Editor Panku Sharma panku@ufvcascade.ca

Illustrator Amara Gelaude amara@ufvcascade.ca

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least spread awareness.

Staying informed is not only easier than ever, but it’s almost become completely impossible not to. Hearing the latest updates on nearly any current issue is no longer a matter of buying a newspaper, or even visiting CBC’s website on free wifi while standing in line at Starbucks, but simply opening Facebook and Snapchat and being bombarded with shares and news updates that you didn’t go the slightest bit out of your way to find.

While this accessibility to news can be argued to cause apathy, it also takes away any excuse to be uneducated about current issues — you no longer have to go out of your way to be informed, you have to go out of your way to be

uninformed.

It’s this form of apathy that is not only disappointing, but disconcerting. I understand that not everyone cares about pipelines, but you wouldn’t think those to be your educated peers, classmates that you hope are staying informed about their surroundings, mainly because it’s just one of those things that university teaches you to do. University fosters an environment that pushes you to care about things — really, you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t care about something, be that getting a job you love, getting a job that’ll come with a comfortable salary, or simply educating yourself.

While I really hope to avoid the awkwardness of having my uninformed classmate read this and call me out on it, deep down I hope they do because it would mean that they read a newspaper.

Photographer Alexandrah Pahl Alexandrah@ufvcascade.ca

Kayla BDW Remington Fioraso

Cover: Field House Brewing Company Back Cover: Brittany Cardinal

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Volume 25 · Issue 3 Room S2111 33844 King Road Abbotsford, BC V2S 7M8 604.854.4529

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

The Cascade is open to written, photo, and design work from all students; these can come in the form of a pitch to an editor, or an assignment from an editor. Writers meetings are held each Monday at 12:00 p.m. in The Cascade’s office on the Abbotsford campus.

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

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2017

NEWS NEWS BRIEFS

Globe and Mail 2017 University Report A review of many Canadian universities examines various areas of interest

UFV awarded Seal of Distinction

Photo: Vanessa Broadbent

UFV has been awarded the Seal of Distinction for 2017 by WorldatWork. UFV was awarded alongside 160 other organizations, including institutions M.I.T., Yale, UCLA Davis. Other Canadian recipients included the University of Calgary, the Co-operators, and the Saskatchewan Research Council. The Seal of Distinction is awarded to organizations with positive workplace experiences and business success.

WorldatWork is a non-profit human resources association and compensation authority.

UFV Today

JOEL ROBERTSON-TAYLOR

UFV Today

KKK pamphlets distributed

KKK literature was distributed to Abbotsford homes on Saturday night. Seventy homes in the Marshall Road area received bags with pamphlets degrading Martin Luther King Jr. Police have identified a dark pickup truck from security footage and are asking anyone with information to contact the APD at 604-859-5225 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-2228477.

Abbotsford News

STUDENT EXPERIENCE

LIBRARY RESOURCES

APPLIED LEARNING

CONDUCT RESEARCH

UFV International and the UFV Kinesiology department are hosting 20 delegates from the Winter Sport Centre of the General Administration of Sport in China.

The delegates are participating in a 13-week academy in preparation for the upcoming 2022 Olympics in Beijing. The delegates, coaches and sport administrators from China, will study the success of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

The Globe and Mail’s Canadian university report profiles collected data from over 60 universities across Canada. This annual report lists the research conducted on several areas of student interest at the participating universities. The areas of focus range from education and social experience to cost of education.

The researchers talked to students, faculty, and university officials to investigate how the nation’s universities compare, what they offer, and how they’re unique.

According to the report, the researchers collected data on affordability, financial aid, library spending, student satisfaction, student retention, degree completion, student achievement, university reputation, research funding, and teaching awards. The data was collected from publicly available sources.

The breakdown of the research splits into six categories: cost, financial aid, research, applied learning, library resources, and student experience.

Starting with cost, the report lists UFV with a $6,082 tuition and categorizes the university within average costs ($$) range. However, this number is incorrect; the agreed upon figure is $5,071. Because designations for below or above average is a $300 difference, UFV would likely be considered below the provincial average for the cost of tuition and compulsory fees if placed with its actual cost.

For bursaries and awards offered, of the teaching universities that are similar to UFV, there is no ranking or the ranking is considerably below average. Only UVIC, SFU, and UBC — the established research universities are rated above average.

UNBC, the fourth research university in B.C. sits at the province’s average.

Vladimir Dvoracek, associate vice president of institutional research and integrated planning at UFV said that the differences appear to parallel the type of university receiving the rating.

“The trend reflects the universities’ offerings as a research institution and age,” said Dvoracek. “A longer history means more graduates and potentially more donating alumni. Additionally, research institutions offer PhDs, which may allow for larger gifts to their alma mater.”

Although the research universities boast higher

BURSARIES & AWARDS

UFV hosting Olympic training

TUITION AND FEES

NEWS EDITOR

BRITISH COLUMBIA University of British Columbia

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Capilano University

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Emily Carr Univesity of Art + Design

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University of the Fraser Valley

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Kwantlen Polytechnic University

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University of Northern British Columbia

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Quest University

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Royal Roads University

$$$

Simon Fraser University

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Thompson Rivers University

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Vancouver Island University

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University of Victoria

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ratings in bursaries and awards, the reverse is true for applied learning offerings.

In terms of applied learning, none of the research universities rank on the scale. The rest of the public institutions (which excludes Quest, a private university) all score above average.

“If you look at the vision of [UFV], the number one thing it says is to provide the best undergraduate education in Canada,” said Dvoracek. “UBC’s vision is to be a world top 30 research university.”

These differences in ranking may reflect the vision of each institution.

Student experience is one of the categories where UFV also ranks above average. This category was based off a survey of senior students who were asked to evaluate their “entire educational experience.”

Eric Davis, UFV provost and vice presi-

dent academic qualified the ranking of UFV. “We always do really well on questions like quality of education, quality of the faculty, degree of interaction with faculty, things like that,” said Davis. “Where we do less well is on the community life at the university, but I think we do better now than we used to, partly because we’ve now got the SUB [Student Union Building].”

Davis acknowledged that the university is aware of the areas that it doesn’t rank as high in and said that the institution is always working to improve the university’s offerings.

“It’s useful to get these survey results because sometimes it reminds you that maybe you’re doing really well in one area and your students seem to be happy, but you’re not perfect and there are ways you can improve,” said Davis.

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www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2017

NEWS

SUS election called despite delays JOEL ROBERTSON-TAYLOR NEWS EDITOR

A vote to call for the annual Student Union Society (SUS) elections was vetoed because half of voting members had only been given access to documents that were nearly a year out of date.

SUS called an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) to be held on January 13 to review changes to the election process and to cast a vote for the calling of a student union election.

Although the vote would normally take place at a regularly scheduled SUS board meeting, an extraordinary general meeting was called to address policy changes that had been overlooked by previous meetings. Discussed in the meeting were multiple points of recommendation by the previous chief elections officer (CEO) on how to more effectively run the election.

However, the election policy proposal presented in the meeting was an updated proposal, not the one that has been posted on SUS’s website for the last year. On the SUS website is the 2014 version which caused some confusion among board members around which policy they were reviewing.

According to Ashmeet Saran, SUS VP internal, the 2016 policy was not posted because there was a problem updating the website last year when the new proposal was created. There was no follow up to update the policies.

Despite the confusion, the policies discussed were the correct documents.

“The document handed out in the meeting adheres to the updated policy,” said SUS president Sukhi Brar.

Photo: Joel Robertson-Taylor

This year will see another CEO hired from within the UFV pool. It was a recommendation by the previous CEO to move to an external process in which the CEO would be hired from a pool of non-UFV applicants.

Although the CEO recommended a policy change towards an external review process, it was not implemented for this election. Brar said in the meeting that in order for a policy change such as this to be properly addressed, it would have to have begun in August or September.

Brar said the reason that the appropriate meetings weren’t held earlier was “A combination of things. We spent much of the summer trying to understand the new societies act and see if it would impact elections. So it’s understanding the act, it’s understanding our policies, and it was trying to get an understanding of how people run elections at different

schools, and which way we wanted to go.”

“We have all the information, we just can’t implement it for this election,” said Brar. “If we tried to do that right now, I’m not confident that we would be able to make a good hire, and we would have other problems associated with that.”

The EGM meeting saw the attendance of five voting members. The board needs 50 per cent plus one to meet quorum and thus vote on any agenda item. Typically quorum would be six voting members, however, faculty of health sciences rep, Rooiana Alizada is no longer a part of the board for this semester due to transferring to another school.

Alizada’s stepping down reduces the total board member count to nine, bringing quorum from six to five voting members.

Even though quorum had been met, concerns were raised about voting for an election

from their conditions.

“I’d like to read [the updated policies] over because if we’re going to call an election, I want to know what’s in this,” said Robert Petersen, board of governors rep.

An electronic vote was requested so that the weekend could be given as time to go over the newly discovered documents.

Results were produced Tuesday night — the board voted in favour of calling an election.

The timeline of the updated policy sets the planning period from when the board calls for an election until the nomination period. Nomination period takes place from January 30 to February 17. Review period is one week after, from February 20 until February 24. Campaign period takes place for three weeks after the review period.

Stories worth paying attention to #Twostatesolution

#Aslongasweprofit

Israel and Palestine called to find peace

Maritime workers across Canada protest

At a Mideast peace conference in Paris last week, during closing declarations, both sides were urged to recommit to finding a peaceful solution to their dispute — which included keeping Palestine as a free state.

Maritime workers protested last week in multiple Canadian cities against changes that they say will cut jobs and lower environmental standards along Canadian coastlines.

The call was met with angst by the Israeli Prime Minister who saw the call as a conspiracy against Israel.

The Paris organizers emphasized a two-state solution, which has had support from many nations.

Although the call was criticized heavily by Israel, Palestinian “terror” attacks were acknowledged and noticeably “pro-Palestine” language was removed from an older draft.

Specific concerns are for the the Canada-EU trade agreement (CETA) and changes to the Canada Transportation Act by the Liberal government.

The Tyee reported that a Review Report of the Canadian Transportation Act “recommended privatizing Canada’s ports and eliminating the cabotage rules that protect Canadian maritime jobs.

Cabotage ensures that any vessel trading within Canada is Canadian owned, operated and crewed.”

If the recommendations are followed, regulations that uphold at least $20 an hour jobs may be replaced by ones paying less than $2 an hour. This could come as a result of allowing the privatization of ports.

“My fear is... our seafarers that we have currently that go along our shores will be replaced by foreign crews, underpaid foreign crews, that don’t have a stake in our coastline,” said Robert Ashton, president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada, as reported by the CBC. “We’re for trade. We just don’t like seeing it when this trade is at any cost and is wiping out industries.”

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#Classaction Class action against RCMP may include 20,000 women A class-action lawsuit against the RCMP for harassment was certified by the Federal Court and now may include up to 20,000 women.

The CBC reports that if the settlement is approved, depending on the severity of the harassment it will be applied at six different levels of payout ranging from $10,000 to $220,000, depending on the severity of the harassment.

The RCMP agreed to pay the amounts regardless of how many women come forth. It’s not known yet how many women it may include.

It may also be possible for children and spouses to receive compensation depending on which class the women are categorized into. Compensation for spouses and children will reach a maximum of 10 per cent of the payout to female employees.

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2017

NEWS

Jordan Abel announced as 2017 writer in residence Photo: jordanabel.ca

VANESSA BROADBENT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

UFV’s English department announced that Vancouver poet Jordan Abel will be this year’s writer in residence.

“He’s a pretty happening poet right now around B.C.,” said English professor Trevor Carolan, who works with the writer in residence selection committee. “He’s read here at UFV before and students loved him. He’s really good on a stage and he has a really good sense of what’s happening in the poetry scene now.”

Abel will be the 10th writer in residence in UFV’s Kuldip Gill Writing Fellowship, a 10 week program that gives writers the opportunity to work on their own writing projects, as well as provide support for students and the UFV community. Abel has published three poetry books and his latest, Injun, focuses on contemporary issues of racism and the representation of indigenous people.

“His poetry, on the page, looks very experimental,” Carolan said. “He’s also First Nations; he brings that kind of indigenous element.”

Aside from his poetry chapbooks, Abel has also contributed and edited a variety of Canadian journals and magazines, and is currently working on a doctorate at Simon Fraser University.

“He’s doing a PhD at SFU in digital humanities [and indigenous poetics], which is kind of the new phase of where some of the art and communication stuff, language is going. This is going to be a terrific resource to have here on campus, to have him around.”

Carolan noted that the English department has plans to expand the program by including more publishing opportunities for students.

“The students are saying they want something a bit different, we’re wondering how can we do that, maybe we need to do a rethink,” he said. “They’re not getting any information about what to do with their poetry manuscripts or what to do with those stories or what you do with a play … So we started looking at what can we do with this program.”

To help students explore publishing opportunities, the English department will also be hosting Literary Arts Week at UFV from February 20-24, coinciding with Abel’s term in residence.

The event will feature Abel, along with Richard Olafson, publisher of Ekstasis Editions and Pacific Rim Review of Books, and writers Robert Martens, Gary Geddes, and Ann Erickson.

“We talked with the school about it and I said ‘What if we got a hold of some serious publishers and brought them out here?’”

Carolan said. “We can’t bring everyone from the Valley downtown, but maybe we can bring them from downtown to come out here.”

At this point, the arts week is the only event planned, but Carolan explained that there are plans for more depending on its success.

“There’s going to be a lot of events going on and I guess this could be a model for future years,” he said. “If it works, why wouldn’t we want to do this again, especially if it’s what students want?”

With files from Joel Robertson-Taylor

The Cascade is hiring a Distributor!

The Distributor carries out circulation of The Cascade’s print edition throughout the Fraser Valley. This includes UFV campuses in Abbotsford, Mission, and Chilliwack, branches of the Fraser Valley Regional Library system, and local coffee shops and potentially other locations The Distributor also works closely with the Business Manager to determine the best methods for distribution, and to maintain and track readership count. In addition, the Distributor works as a community representative, building The Cascade’s presence and recognition ound UFV and the surrounding areas.

To apply send a resume and cover letter to joel@ufvcascade.ca by Jan. 21

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www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2017

NEWS

Professor Profile: Ron Dart QUINTIN STAMLER BUSINESS MANAGER

It was a sunny morning and I was sitting in Clik Bistro, enjoying a delicious breakfast burrito and perfectly blackened Americano and unaware of how important the topic of the interview I was about to do truly is. Last semester I had the pleasure of taking Politics and Ideology (political science 120) with Dr. Ron Dart. Being a business student, I hadn’t paid much attention to global politics and philosophical questions that get mauled over by journalists, politicians, activists, and everyone else who has a decently firm grasp on reality. At the centre of our talk was the environment — a hot topic awaiting my generation’s direct attention. Our discussion covered a few different significant political issues, but the driving force was of education and action. The difference between the two has much to do with one’s age and understanding of the given topic. University facilitates our learning, development, and vision; we must then facilitate the change we wish to make in the world.

Do you think that Canada is able to see the same success as Standing Rock?

Well, I think for example with the Kinder Morgan [Pipeline], what you have is the form or establishment position: how do we deliver the natural resources from one point to another?

Trudeau’s goal is to look at alternate forms of energy, but until we have those fully operational, you have to have some of the cruder forms of transport. His position is okay, pipelines are the best we got at this point in time given how we deliver energy. That’s not where I want to go but you need an interim position until you get to your final solution. This is where you are getting this interesting merging of protest groups, advocacy groups, Green Party, like Elizabeth May. How does the current federal government stand relative to environmental issues?

You have to be careful with what Trudeau is doing, some people want to demonize him with being in bed with the powerful oil companies. From his position he is torn between being with the business establishment people, who say “so what environment,” all that matters is the ledger of profit and loss, that’s all they are interested in. They just think in terms of what the ledger looks like at the end of the day. Trudeau is somewhere left of that, given his own history, and background, he would take the position of “yes, that is important,” but you have to factor in environmental issues because if you mess up the environment, there are implications economically as well.

Do you think the pipeline is currently the best way to transport the energy?

When you look at the principle environmentalists, you want to ask them, “Okay if you’re contra Trans Mountain, contra the pipeline, what in the immediate sense is the answer?” And that’s a fair question to ask the environmentalists or the ecologists, whether it’s Green Peace, Sierra Club, or First Nations Groups. I’m with them in theory, but how do you act on that theory practically, because politics is so much about action?

With Trudeau you want to sort of say, “I can understand your dilemma, you’re probably with the left in terms of ideal but you’re trying to sort out incrementally how to then deliver this means of energy.”

On the right they tend to be much more about business, where environment is subordinate to business and Trudeau is living in the tension of it. The left subordinates business to environment, but they’re also bright enough to realize that at the end of the day they must pay the bills. They aren’t opposed to the economic question, so it’s always an ongoing tension of what is the relationship between economics and ecology. Given the history of not just the West but elsewhere having an excessive dependence on certain forms of energy, and we aren’t at the point yet where you can make a full-scale transformation into alternate forms of energy. This is what divides the right, the centre, and the left. You have to balance the economic with the environmental issues and with the social; it is what we call a three-legged stool.

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How do students get involved with environmental advocacy in the community or at UFV? Well I think there are probably three levels: there’s the one for some students where they need to take classes on environmental issues just to be aware there is even an issue, because first of all, if it’s not in a person’s mental makeup to realize we are facing certain issues then how would you deal with it? People need to begin to process how you make sense of it, and analyze the different types of groups that are doing something. The second would then be forming organizations to deepen the level of analysis and action. Then the third thing is what are the para-

“So it’s always an ongoing tension of what is the relationship between economics and ecology” university organizations which take action in a more decided way politically.

Often at a university when people get interested in this economic-environment issue, they do it just on the education side.

It’s alerting, waking people up to the importance of environmental issues and environment economics, but there’s no action. Now some people like the Greens, First Nations, Sierra, and Greenpeace, they’re as much interested in thinking the issues as they are acting — so what does this look like when we move from thought to action and action to thought?

In Canada there’s been this huge tension historically between forests, mining, and fishing. There’s a whole history in this province of large corporations destroying the environment for profit, and whenever you have one extreme you’re inevitably going to get another group that comes as a counter; and then of course in the last 20-30 years, environmental issues have become front stage rather than backstage.

So people do educational programs at UFV, they’re on the educational level. Other groups are on the action level, so what’s the relationship of thought, education, to action? Well it’s always the dilemma of the university because it’s “raison d’etre” is education not action, it leaves the action to people who want to act either independently or with major NGOs, or through parties, or at a municipal level. A university’s justification is not acting on issues or taking positions, that’s always a limitation of universities. This is where students have the freedom, when a university won’t take a position, but you have passionate students who say ‘Listen, we have to do more than just cheer information transfer or education issues, but in fact we do have to act.’

As for student societies and organizations, they are absolutely essential because some students who are going to play roles on the public stage or on environmental issues, those students who start with organizations leave UFV and then they go on to play an important role in significant organizations. Often the university is a bit of the womb that births the vision, and then as people mature the visions, they say, “Okay, so where’s the legs upon which to act?” That’s when they join these organizations, so student societies are essential for affirming a growing vision, and then people act on it.

Is getting involved politically a good vehicle to contribute to environmental advocacy?

Decidedly so, and anytime that people get involved at elections, whether provincial, federal, or municipal, that’s an accelerated form of education. Because courses you take are limited in terms of what you learn, it’s usually information, and you get marked when you do papers or tests, but actually learning about how politics work and how change is made and how parties articulate a platform, work on the platforms, and the policy that comes from that, that’s a much deeper form of education, because it’s experiential education in the hurly-burly of political life.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The Cascade is hiring a varsity writer!

The varsity writer is responsible for writing at least two UFV varsity sports articles per week during the regular season. During the off-season, the varsity reporter will write one varsity sports article and one other article for The Cascade. Because reporters are paid members of the Cascade staff, they are expected to write more comprehensive articles than a contributor.

To apply send a resume, cover letter, and a writing sample to joel@ufvcascade.ca by Jan. 24.

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2017

OPINION

RE: CCR? More like PBR!

fill a gap in your program

How I learned to get waitlisted for a required course and play handball instead

PANKU SHARMA OPINION EDITOR

As a wise man once said, “Fair warning that because I’m dumb I could totally be wrong about all of [this].” That man was me two weeks ago, and while it’s undoubtedly a foolproof defence against any sort of academic scrutiny or questioning of journalistic integrity, I do feel the need to mention it again because some might have characterized my complaints about the CCR program (in all its American Lager-style glory) as factually wrong.

I’ve been informed that the fact is, while reflections are a required field, whether they are an essay or not is up to you. I guess I’m just naturally ambitious. Also, CCR coordinates with not only SUS (and how they manage to get an email or response back in time is a testament to either their dedication or magic) but also some external organizations such as Big Brothers / Sisters, Chilliwack Chiefs, the Reach Gallery, and hopefully sometime soon with Pacific Sport. I always give credit where credit is due, and that is really awesome. Never heard about it from the student promotion teams or table sessions though.

The rest of the complaints I received are either schematic or up to interpretation; when I said “people putting up chairs” I wasn’t knocking volunteers — I was knocking self-described leaders on campus. Not every club and association on campus is created equal, not everyone has the capacity (and therefore the opportunity to gain meaningful skills, to do identifiable good for the community, and match university learning outcomes) of the Computer Science Student Association (CSSA), Amnesty, Circle K, or Pride to name just a few. I’m not part of the validation process, but I’d hope the distinctions are as stringent as my general irritability demands.

I guess this would be a good time to explain the general frustration that lead me to write the original article. I was wrong in singling out a sole resource and service because it might have come across the wrong way. Campus recreation (which I will begrudgingly support with a Health and Wellness fee even though I’m still not impressed by how that whole thing went down) is cool and important, so are opportunities to partner with external organizations and gain valuable work and volunteer experience (shoutout to to the Career Centre and Co-Op

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program). However, I’m sick of seeing so much attention and energy given to programs tangentially focused on student engagement and no communication sent my way by the university or SUS that there is a plan for the issues that the majority of students care about and could benefit from.

While it is a bonus, and better than nothing, I don’t (and I think this applies to most students) need something like the My Campus Life platform, or a new app, or a slip and slide down the green from the Tim Hortons to the pond.

What I need and want is more professors, more class sections, and a greater variety of courses (especially if you’re going to offer a major *cough*). What I want my money to go towards is supporting a system where student feedback is sought out and complaints against professors are treated seriously and fairly with definitive outcomes. My health, wellness, and general learning experience would be better served if $80 an academic year went to better professional development and instructor training for staff and faculty. We are a university that celebrates the benefits of small class sizes; why do we still have people here who don’t take advantage of that environment and instead continue to dictate powerpoint slides or show VHS tapes to disengaged students? (Having had a class recently in a room with a whiteboard wall, I’d pay to have it installed in every classroom — it added a lot to the learning experience and group dynamics.)

What I’m getting at is I’m not saying some departments and services aren’t well intentioned; I think everyone working here at this university has a goal and vision for a better campus and better student experience. What I’m frustrated with is not hearing what the plan is for the top priority of many people here: graduating on time. I don’t hear enough about student consultation or the university being held accountable; everything I do hear comes off as a distraction. We’re juggling a hundred things at once, and I don’t know where this unicycle is going to end up.

If nothing else, I guess I’ve left a few people frustrated and a few more aware that the CCR even exists. I’ll take it if it also means we’ll take a better look at the what were doing, and the effectiveness of what we’re communicating.

Athabasca University has over 850 courses for you to choose from to meet your needs. Monthly start dates of undergraduate courses fit into your schedule so that you can work at your own pace.

Fill the gap and save a semester.

go.athabascau.ca/online-courses open. online. everywhere.

art of the month

Submissions are due Friday, January 31st

Limit of three submissions per person, per month Submissions must have been created with in the last year

Accepted mediums: painting, drawing, print, photography, digital art, sculpture, 3d work Include a 50 word bio, 150 word artist statement, and image list with titles, mediums, sizes, and dates of creation

Submissions & questions can be sent to jeff@ufvcascade.ca All images must be in CMYK format, 300+ DPI,in Zip file, less than 5 MB total. All files must be in PDF format.

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2017

OPINION

SNAPSHOTS Curtailed commentary on current conditions

Martin Castro

The January jam is scary

RE: Mission Impassible

I can see myself slipping. Falling behind. I know it happens to the best of us, and it’d be ludicrous of me to expect myself to always be caught up with everything on my plate (school, work, personal life). But now, in the relative calm before the storm that is late February to mid-March, I can already feel the many deadlines I face eroding my resolve. That said, this isn’t my first rodeo, I know to keep on top of my readings and assignments and that this will invariably save me horrible bouts of anxiety down the road.

It’s a balancing act, I know it. But juggling some lab science course the institution insists on cramming down my throat despite the four years I spent avoiding it, as well as the fact that, for the first time since my first semester, I have no literature courses (I’d kill to audit modernism but I don’t have the time), has made me realize I’d much rather write 4,000 words over two weeks than try to come up with enough enthusiasm to study the weather systems.

Let me take this opportunity to also make a stand against the proposed Mission pipeline. It is not enough that the proposal would ensure that the existing pipeline could be repaired, monitored, and better maintained, or even that this would would be a redundancy against any catastrophic incident that might potentially leave the residents of Mission ankle-deep in their own poop. There has to be a better way!

There are literally many trains that cross from Matsqui into Mission; why not put the poop on the trains so they can take them to the wastewater treatment plant across the river? Sure, it’d be inefficient and there’s a risk of a train accident, but at least there isn’t a pipeline! Or how about trucks and tankers? Sure there would be more emissions in addition to the heightened risk of accidents, but just saying the word pipeline makes me gag worse than the potential smell of Mission’s sewage dripping off the bridge.

Now that I think about it however, considering everything that is being said about jobs, let’s use this as an opportunity to take back what we can from automatization and the progress of infrastructure and technology by just filling buckets from the sewage tap by Silver City (also known as Boston Pizza) and just pay people to walk it across.

Seriously though, how much would it cost to just build a new treatment plant in that bare marshy area to the right of the first exit off the bridge?

Panku Sharma

RE: A Voice for Mental Health

Kayla BWD

Illustrations: Amara Gelaude

While I thought that the article “A Voice for Mental Health” about Margaret Trudeau’s recent talk at UFV was well articulated, I couldn’t help but disagree with the tone and overall statement. Firstly, as a student who lives with bipolar disorder I can assure you that, while Margaret’s experiences involved having access to copious amounts of money, they were still very relatable. Travelling and overspending is an unfortunate side effect of mania and one that people of all levels of wealth experience with equally devastating results. Secondly, I believe that Margaret clearly stated that the three most crucial things for mental illness are sleep, nutrition, and exercise outside. These three are also recommended by medical professionals as the foundation for a healthy mental state. Thirdly, perhaps she misspoke and the link that was made with antidepressants was between suicide rates and not crime rates as that was the topic at hand. She went on to say that antidepressants give a person that control to think out a situation instead of acting instinctually on emotions. While I may disagree with her that antidepressants are a solution, they are an important first step. Lastly, I would just like to point out that education and treatment of mental health have come a long way; although there is still much improvement to be made — there are many programs, opportunities, and resources for people suffering from mental illness that weren’t previously available.

Top 40 gluttony

Joel Roberson-Taylor

The Romans used to dump scorching oil on invading marauders from their towering walls above. I imagine it deterred the barbarians; it would certainly keep me off their lawn. I’m reminded of this ancient weapon of war because I’ve been subjected to a similarly flesh-melting torture from the heights of the Student Union Building.

I’m not big on such high energy music. It’s like being IV’d ephedrine all day long, and not in a good way. I can’t take it anymore; my nerves are fried, I look like a meth addict, I haven’t slept in days.

Wasn’t the reason that they refused to play CIVL because the SUB was considered to be a study space? Try studying to a barrage of boiling oil and fiery arrows straight at your eardrums. At least they’ve turned the volume down from last Thursday. Someone must have realized this isn’t a bloody disco.

Hyperbolic analogy aside, this top 40 stuff is more like sugary glazed cake. I don’t mind a slice now and then but good grief, could anyone live off of that crap? Give me some sustenance, give me some jazz.

I find it oppressive and unsettling. And I get it Shawn, a girl like me deserves a gentleman.

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www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2017

OPINION

Is the CBC fulfilling my needs?

REMINGTON FIORASO CONTRIBUTOR

The line between needs and wants is often a fine one. The two terms can be used interchangeably if you have to and want to have something, like a coffee to get you through a morning class or shift. Yet the needs and wants of audiences are fickle, broad, or misunderstood in the case of news coverage.

Recently, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) proposed to the federal government to receive an additional $400 million in funding to be able to go ad-free. I religiously observe CBC’s coverage on their website and social media pages. As the network is my main source of Canadian news while outside of the country, the question arises, as a consumer, are my needs and wants being met? With the proposed funding increase, the network would be able to focus less so on meeting the needs of advertisers and more on the needs of its prospective audience.

After all, the CBC’s mandate is to “reflect Can-

ada and its regions to national and regional audiences, while serving the special needs of those regions.” Does the content as it is now warrant a funding increase?

When looking at news on CBC, I always pay particular attention to articles involving British Columbia, Canadian politics, world politics, business, health, education, indigenous issues, and entertainment. When reading these, I have an expectation that I will read accurate information that attempts to stay neutral, free of bias or partisanship. I need and want to know what is going on in my country regardless of whether I am in it or not. I want to view international news to gain a Canadian perspective. I need and want to be entertained, and have a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction when gaining information. The CBC delivers this. I feel informed.

Another thing that I heavily enjoy is the fact that I can also gain my entertainment fix without seeking another source. Rather than relying on “clickbait” articles to catch my attention, there is a sense of actual fulfillment reading what the ar-

ticle title implies. Although it may seem difficult to avoid articles about the Kardashians, there is not an overkill amount of articles about the tabloid-ridden family on the network’s website.

However, the CBC acts as a gatekeeper, and that added responsibility should make them open to scrutiny. The network determines what news and information is being presented to us, as consumers. This leads to the questions: Is the “breaking news” really the most important news that is going on right now? Are we seeing the most accurate information? As all provinces and territories have a separate news sub-section, are all communities being represented? Is the network truly fulfilling the needs of its prospective audience? As of July 1, 2016, StatsCan lists the official Canadian population as being over 36 million people. It’s a difficult feat to satisfy everyone’s needs and wants.

Regardless if all my personal desires for the CBC are fulfilled, I appreciate the fact that they are fulfilling their mandate. As identified in the 1991 Broadcasting Act, the CBC, “as the nation-

al public broadcaster, should provide radio and television services incorporating a wide range of programming that informs, enlightens and entertains.” Even with the so-called “fluff ” pieces, the articles bring a sense of enlightenment or escape to people’s lives. What one may not consider news, another may believe it is — you have the choice to read or view what is interesting to you. No network is able to satisfy everyone, but as long as they are meeting their own mandate does it really matter? The funding increase of $400 million to go ad-free, like the BBC, may be worth it if the mandate continues to be met. The CBC would be able to focus on journalistic value and not have to resort to clickbait headlines and articles to gain more site traffic. In turn, there would not be a need to appeal to advertisers and instead, there would be an increased emphasis on focusing on the audience. Rather than following the money, the network can follow the news.

The Cascade is hiring an Advertising Representative!

The Advertising Representative is responsible for the marketing of advertising sales. The Advertising Representative works under the supervision of the Business Manager to meet monthly sales targets as set within the annual budget. The Advertising Representative will also seek to foster positive, lasting relationships with advertising clients.

To apply send a resume and cover letter to joel@ufvcascade.ca by Jan. 21

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www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2017

FEATURE

FOR THE LOVE OF BEER Written by: Bradley Peters Layout: Brittany Cardinal

Photos: Fieldhouse Brewing Co.

Chilliwak Hop Farms

How craft breweries revived a delicious goldrush in the Fraser Valley 10

I

n certain parts of the Fraser Valley, particularly around Chilliwak, you can still find patches of wild hops growing in roadside ditches or crawling up a weathered mailbox, remnants of the craft beer boom and pervasive hop farming that flourished in the 1930s. Hops are a key ingredient that endows beer with its distinct aroma and biting flavour. In the mid-1900s Chilliwack was the largest hops producer in all of the British Commonwealth, but the trade of beer making went stagnant for decades when the market was monopolized by a handful of large companies who began outsourcing to maximize profit. The last acre of hops farm was uprooted and replanted with corn and cauliflower in the early-90s. But now a new race is on, a feverish scramble to fill the desperate need for world-class Cascade hops as a wave of local breweries sweeps across the continent.

Lawrence is one of a handful of local hops farmers in B.C. When he decided to plant hops five years ago he envisioned it being a retirement gig, a hobby farm and fun project in an industry that interested him.

“I thought, ‘Oh, 10 acres is all I need, It’s a little retirement project,’ and now we’re in excess of 215 employees,” he said.

Craft breweries in B.C. have grown from 35 in 2007, to 150 this year. This is indicative of a major market shift, and more than just a new trend. This rapid shift is the result of a “beer revolution,” a coup of passionate local brewers wrestling the industry out of the clutches of corporate hegemony.

“There was half a dozen corporate breweries in North America, and it didn’t matter how good of a farmer you were, you weren’t going to sell any more hops than they were going to take, because where else are you going to take them?” Lawrence explained. “They had the farmer under their thumb. The hop price in 1936 was $1.98 a pound, when it closed down here 60 years later, it was $2.98 a pound, that’s how controlled it was.”

As one of the pioneers of the hop farming revival, Lawrence’s experience in selling his hops was the opposite of subdued.

“As soon as I started my farm Molsons came around and said they would buy everything I had. I thought, ‘Well what the hell do they want with my few acres here?’” he said. “All they wanted to do was stop the craft breweries from getting it. They didn’t care; they were throwing our hops into the mix and walking away to keep the market under control.

But that got out of hand because there were too many craft breweries wanting to start up.”

In Canada today 20 per cent of the beer market, a $5-billion industry hydrating 10 million Canadians each year, is controlled by microbreweries, according to Agriculture and Agri Food Canada. Microbreweries offer endless potential for innovation as new brewers experiment with varieties and combinations of unique ingredients to offer beer that stands out amongst a bustling new market. Beer drinkers are ecstatic over the options, and the pricing is competitive since breweries craft their beer on-site and serve it to customers at a discount, straight from the vat into one- or two-litre jugs known as “growlers.”

“One of the problems that small breweries had before is that when they went to start up their business they had to go to one or two major hops suppliers, usually a huge company in the States called Hops Union,” Lawrence explained.

“Hops Union demands a contract; the brewery had to sign up to say how much they were going to take, and they were locked into that. They had to buy that and nothing else, but if Hops Union didn’t have it in stock, too bad. They don’t care about microbreweries with their small orders of different varieties. They just want the big contracts.”

This is exactly what Lawrence wanted to change about the industry, and by offering lower quantities of hops, breweries are able to experiment and create a larger array of beers.

“Small breweries will get unique ideas and want to experiment with 20 pounds of this and 10 pounds of that, just to do test runs, and they could never get that from the big guys,” he said. “We will sell one pound of hops. We want to inspire the craft breweries to innovate, because that expands the market … It’s great because these guys are always trying to innovate to get the edge on the competition, so they’re having a ball. And it’s fantastic. It’s great for business and the industry is thriving.”

One of these small breweries, Field House, is a new award winning brewery in the old downtown district of Abbotsford, minutes from the UFV campus. Field House is known for their concoctions of unique brews such as a cold press Radler using cold pressed fruit, foraged herbs combined

with a sour wheat beer, or a new collaboration with Modern Times Brewing where both crews went on a summer gallivant across Sumas Mountain foraging wild flora, and they finished by pitching the ingredients into a 10-metre copper “coolship” to ferment, and left it to age six months in a vat with a hundred pounds of local blackberries. Mission Springs Brewing has a Cookies & Cream Ale and Ravens Brewing recently collaborated with Oldhand Cafe in Abbotsford to craft a Coffee IPA. All of this goes without saying that the classic-style lagers and ales from local microbreweries across the country, and particularly in B.C. with our distinctive Cascade hops, are winning awards and gaining global attention.

“We didn’t have the volume to keep up with the demand,”

“

We’re seeing a beer revolution, a coup of passionate local brewers wrestling the industry out of the clutches of corporate hegemony

John said excitedly as we gazed across his sprawling crops.

“There was a lot of people in the Valley with useable land; they didn’t have the hops dryers, harvesters, or know-how, so I came up with a solution. I offered some of the landowners around here a profit sharing scenario: they provide the land, I provide the crops and equipment and we share the profit 50/50. People jumped on board. We’ll have an excess of 300 acres this year.”

John led me past the largest hops harvester in Canada, letting me know that he has three more ordered to arrive this year, and into his processing plant, a warehouse pungent with green hops; a pine needle and cut grass scent.

Two-hundred pound bales of hops standing well over six feet tall lined the floor. An elevated platform lining the sidewall had four large sunken sectors, one-metre deep, used to dry fresh cones of hops. John lead me past his massive cold-storage unit which houses over 200 varieties of hops, and over to his processing area. A large map on the wall was crowded with pins that spanned the globe, indicators of each brewery he supplies.

This is all from the last eight months,” he laughed, pointing to the convoluted mass of tacks stuck over North America. “We’ve run out of space for pins.”

In the 1930s, ‘40s, and ‘50s, thousands of families used to migrate to Chilliwack from across the country during the hops harvest in August and September. They would pick hops all day and into the dusk, and they would camp out together overnight in the fields. The hops they picked were in demand from breweries across the continent. It seems like, after decades of stifled enterprise, the craft beer boom and Chilliwack hops harvest is back in full-swing and it’s bringing Canadians together once again.

“We’re adding another building this year,” John said as we walked across the gravel driveway towards my car.

“When we put the new building up we are going to add a microbrewery at the end. We’ll be doing everything here.

Guests will be able to go on a tour, see the entire process all of the way through and taste the end result. We’ll be the first ones to do that here in the Valley.”

John smiled as we stopped to take one last look at his farm nestled in the mountainous valley.

“It’s exciting, and it’s what the people want, good beer and community. What more can you ask for?”

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2017

FEATURE Foraging wild ingredients for a new beer on Sumas Mountain

Ridge Brewing Company

Old Yale Brewing Co.

Mission Springs Brewing Co. Trading Post Brewing

Dead Frog Brewery

The micro breweries situated around the UFV campuses:

Dead Frog Brewery Aldergrove, BC Try the Reina De Fuega Mexican Chocolate Porter Old Yale Brewing Co. Chilliwack, BC Try the award winning Sasquatch Stout Maple Meadows Brewing Co Maple Ridge, BC Try the New Years Negra Noche Bock

A few major award winning breweries in Vancouver:

Old Abbey Ales Fieldhouse Brewing Co. Ravens Brewing Co.

Old Abbey Ales Abbotsford, BC Try the Dry Hop Saison

Mission Springs Brewing Co. Mission , BC Try the Cookies and Cream Ale

Fieldhouse Brewing Co. Abbotsford, BC Try the award winning Sour Wheat Gose

Ridge Brewing Company Maple Ridge, BC Try the Wind And Sea Pale Ale

Ravens Brewing Co. Abbotsford, BC Try the Old Hand Café and Bakery Coffee IPA

Trading Post Brewing Co. Langley, BC Try the Dark Tart Farmhouse Ale

33 Acres Brewing Co. Vancouver, BC

Four Winds Brewing Co. Delta, BC

Steel and Oak Brewing New Westminster

Brassneck Brewery Vancouver, BC

Parallel 49 Brewing Co. East Vancouver, BC

Strange Fellows Brewing Co. Vancouver, BC

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www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2016

CULTURE

An experience like no other: from UFV to East Africa to Rideau Hall The East Africa Internship Program offers students a chance to do real work, really far away.

Photos: Lisa Harrington

JEFF MIJO CULTURE EDITOR

If the experience of studying abroad appeals to you but you’re itching for a break from classrooms and want to do something practical, social work student Lisa Harrington might have just the answer for you. She’s part of a unique project at UFV: the East Africa Internship Program.

As the internship coordinator and a two-time former intern, Harrington acts as the righthand to geography and the environment professor Cherie Enns, the program’s supervisor. The program sends groups of students to East African countries to conduct a variety of research, while forging some unforgettable memories along the way. Harrington spoke to The Cascade about the program, its goals, and the experiences it offered her both in Africa and back in Canada.

Can you tell me what the East Africa Internship Program is in a nutshell?

Cherie Enns had been doing East Africa internships for quite a while, and she connected UFV to the Canadian Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarships Program (QES). The QES Scholarships Program sends Canadian students to commonwealth countries to do applied projects, and also sends students from those countries into Canada. We’ve been sending students since 2015, and just under 20 students have gone to Tanzania and Kenya to do applied projects and research based around food systems and food security.

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How did this program get started?

Cherie’s been doing it for years and years. She lived in Kenya when she was a child, so she has lifelong ties to the East African region. She went into development, urban planning, and human geography, so she’s been teaching her for a long time. She thinks that professional experiences for students are so, so important, and she goes to bat for anyone who’s willing to do the work. She’s amazing that way. We call her the internship spirit guide.

What kind of work do the students undertake?

It’s research based. It started in Dar es Salaam, where they were looking at formal markets, supermarkets, and where their food was coming from, where it was travelling from, and what local people held important within that. And then it was done very similarly in Nairobi.

Essentially, each group has layered on itself.

So it started with the supermarkets and formal markets in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, then into Nairobi, Kenya, then the informal vendors in Dar es Salaam, then the informal markets in Arusha, all working with Ardhi University and the East African Institute of Aga Khan University in Nairobi. There’ve been a couple side projects as well. There was a project and report done for Villages of Hope, Mwanza by one of the groups, and there was an urban farming handbook, a small documentary, and we’re at three events that have happened at UFV.

So they’re all interconnected?

Yeah, I’d say that’s one of the coolest parts.

Interns come home and meet other interns, and we all know exactly what you mean when you’re like, “I can’t look at peanut butter again after living at Fathers.” We all know each other’s stories, it’s cool.

Peanut butter? *Laughing* That’s just one of the small things — in Dar es Salaam the students all live in a guest house, Patients Fathers Guest House, so it’s a big house connected to a bunch of little apartments and suites that are all guest houses rented out to people who are travelling, and there’s a free breakfast every morning. It’s very, very simple, but there’s peanut butter and toast every day. It’s one of the only breakfast options so you get a little tired of it. That’s actually a great place that they get to stay, because there are people from all over the world. You sit down to breakfast, and meet people from the Ukraine, the States. I loved it, it was great.

When did you go on your internships?

I went unfunded to Tanzania in 2015. I worked with Kids Care Tanzania because I’m a social work student, so I wasn’t even supposed to be on this internship, I just found myself in it, again, due to Cherie. I was there working with another student, looking at curriculum funding and just interacting with the kids everyday and supporting their learning while they were

on break. Then I went back to Nairobi in 2016, at the end of January, and did the food systems research with another student. We were interviewing supermarkets there, and I was working on an urban farmer’s handbook.

A previous intern started it, and then I took over, and collaborated with a graphic design student, Julie Henderson, back at UFV. It was all a super huge learning experience for me because I didn’t have research experience. It was tricky, it was really hard, but it was a really, really good experience. The other students were doing things that were very similar: interviews, creating surveys, writing reports, and working with the host institutions a lot to meet their needs. We have our own ideas going in, but it’s really led by them, because it’s supposed to be something useful.

And I imagine just being there is a good learning experience; the different culture, being so far from home.

Absolutely. We try to prep students as much as possible, because you are living with a group of students who are your roommates, friends, and coworkers for months, and you’re working on a really intense, professional project. There’s an expectation that’s been set by multiple students ahead of you that this is going to be great… because it has to be.

There’s that relationship building, and I think the bigger part is that we really have an open communication about what colonialism has looked like, going into another country,

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2016

CULTURE

understanding our privilege, understanding the gaps we’re filling, and knowing that we’re not going to “save Africa” because that’s not why we’re there. We are taking a lot. They’re not blessed by our presence and our “brilliant university minds.” No. You are there because you are learning and you are gaining experience and you’re going to take away huge cultural understanding and amazing stories that you’ll always remember, but you have to understand that you’re taking. And that’s a really hard thing for people to understand, because in Canada we hear the single story about Africa so much that even in the questions you get asked, you can see how that seeps into things. Not in a malicious way, but when you return and people say right away “so, when did you feel scared?” “was it dangerous?” or “that’s amazing, that must be the first time they’ve ever seen someone like you.” No! That is not true! That just makes you cringe a lot. So we really try to curb that, so there are a lot of culture meetings and overlap between students coming and going, and seeing how different people are over the course of that trip or how their ideas of things have changed.

Sometimes they’re more optimistic and excited, and sometimes they’re more pessimistic because development’s really hard.

What are some of the accomplishments of past interns?

The first group of interns that went has been published. Their article is available at

ufveastafricainternships.com, it’s really great, and the last group that just returned presented at the Canadian High Commission in Tanzania.

Myself and another student, Jeremy Wagner, because we were part of the Queen Elizabeth Scholarships Program, flew to Ottawa and met with the Right Hon. David Johnston, his wife, the Rideau Hall Foundation, and Jean Chrétien. They just congratulated us on being part of a program that’s been very successful.

It was great, we got to meet QES scholars from other places in the world, and meeting people who had travelled from countries that are known for their poverty to come work with homeless people in Winnipeg was awesome.

I love that they’re just busting up those stereotypes. It was fantastic — we were kind of wide-eyed, to be honest. It was an experience in itself, an experience I didn’t think I’d be doing, sitting in Rideau Hall having dinner. I’d say my experiences in Tanzania and in Kenya were more impactful and closer to my heart, but I was obviously so flattered and so excited to be there and to meet the people that I met, and the Rideau Hall Foundation is so huge and there’s so many people that want to see Canada doing positive development, or as close to that as we can get. Being there was amazing, just in general to be proud of our work and proud of what we’ve done, it’s a nice thing. And like I said, all the projects are really applied, so the Villages of Hope report is meant to be used, the data that’s gathered and the work that’s done

is meant to be useful and meant to contribute, even if it’s in a very small way at this point.

What goals does the program have going forward, either in terms of work in Africa or development of the program?

We hope to continually grow. Our funding for the Queen Elizabeth Scholarships Program ends in 2018, so right now our immediate goals are to find our last few groups of students that are going to go, to round off this part of the program. We want to see students who are capable, who are really open and excited to try new things and to learn in an entirely new way.

How does someone apply for the program? Is there any specific criteria you’re looking for?

We want students that are a little more experienced, so we want you to have a minimum of 60 credits. You don’t have to have travel experience, we’ll do a lot of training before, and you do get credit for going. The application process usually starts with people contacting me at the internship email account (eastafricainternshipufv@gmail.com) and then having a bit of a discussion. They can check out the blog and Facebook page to get an idea of what we’re about, and then from there I’ll meet with them, they’ll start connecting with Cherie Enns, and we move forward from there. They do go under an evaluation from the university, but we like an eclectic group of students. Our last group was a couple development students, a

social work student, and an economics student.

It’s great to see those different perspectives come together. It’s not like there’s one set, ideal student. We want different ideas and different minds. You do have to be under the age of 30.

That and 60 credits are the bare minimum, and from there we start having discussions — if someone came in and couldn’t shake the idea that they were going to rescue the “country” of Africa then we’re probably not going to encourage them to go.

When’s the next trip planned for, and how many students will be going?

We’re hoping to find a few more students to go in May. The number really goes back and forth: we want a minimum of two, we don’t usually send people on their own, especially if they haven’t been before. We try to keep it in even numbers, just for group dynamics — it’s usually more positive — but the least we’ve sent is two, and the most we’ve sent is six.

You can learn more about the East African Internship Program’s previous work, and apply for their upcoming trip at ufveastafricainternships. com.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2016

CULTURE SCORE BOARD

Fraser Valley Biennale highlights local artists

SCORES

Photos: Martin Castro

Men’s Basketball: Jan 12 UFV Cascades vs. U of C Dinos L 106-68 Jan 13 UFV Cascades vs. U of C Dinos L 92-87 Women’s Basketball: Jan 12 UFV Cascades vs. U of C Dinos L 69-59 Jan 13 UFV Cascades vs. U of C Dinos W 69-60 Men’s Volleyball: Jan 13 UFV Cascades vs. CAP Blues W 3-0 Jan 14 UFV Cascades vs. CAP Blues W 3-0 Women’s Volleyball: Jan 13 UFV Cascades vs. CAP Blues L 3-0 Jan 14 UFV Cascades vs. CAP Blues L 3-1

MARTIN CASTRO ARTS EDITOR

UPCOMING GAMES Men’s Basketball: Fri, Jan 20 8:00 pm UFV Cascades vs. U of A Golden Bears (away) Sat, Jan 21 7:00 pm UFV Cascades vs. U of A Golden Bears (away) Women’s Basketball: Fri, Jan 20 6:00 pm UFV Cascades vs. U of A Pandas (away) Sat, Jan 21 5:00 pm UFV Cascades vs. U of A Pandas (away) Men’s Volleyball: Fri, Jan 20 8:00 pm UFV Cascades vs. CAM Chargers (away) Sat, Jan 21 3:00 pm UFV Cascades vs. CAM Chargers (away) Women’s Volleyball: Fri, Jan 20 6:00 pm UFV Cascades vs. CAM Chargers (away) Sat, Jan 21 1:00 pm UFV Cascades vs. CAM Chargers (away) Wrestling: Sat, Jan 21 UFV Cascades @ Winnipeg Wesmen Invitational (away)

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Re-scheduled from its original January 7 date due to inclement weather, the 2017 Fraser Valley Biennale, a “dynamic, collective representation of exceptional artwork produced by artists in the Fraser Valley region over the past two years” (according to their press release) held its opening reception at the Kariton Art Gallery on Saturday, January 14.

The exhibit, which will be on display until February 7, features the work of 11 regional artists, work which ranges from realist acrylic paintings, to pencil sketches, and even sculpture.

Under graying skies, the Kariton Gallery slowly but surely welcomed a stream of guests who mingled with each other and the artists in attendance. If there was any doubt about the diversity of the Fraser Valley’s quietly vibrant community of visual artists, this year’s Biennale ought to put those doubts to bed.

If pressed to name the one quality shared by the works which, in my opinion, were the most striking among the collection, I would point out their focus on themes of our interaction or juxtaposition with nature and the natural landscapes which surround the more urban communities of the Valley.

One of the various artists in attendance, Tracie Stewart spoke to me about her piece A Romance With Technology, which she said uses overlays of BC Hydro substation maps, many of which she found ran through what remains of the Kennedy Trail in Surrey. Her piece incorporates flowers indigenous to this part of B.C., as well as a railroad, superimposed on top of the maps and in front of two trees, effectively presenting us with the signs of technology and progress (the railroad) among nature and the more brown-coloured abstractions of civilization.

Another artist’s work which drew the eyes of walkers-by was Paula Funk’s Woods, which she explained was inspired by a family road trip. Funk’s colourful half-forest, the trees clearly in focus among the lighter and more abstract background hinting at snow and summer skies, was contrasted divinely by several paintings by Jenn Williamson which were much darker and much more abstract than Funk’s work, but equally as effective in evoking a clear and vivid vision.

Williamson’s A Day to Remember, as well as her other paintings, stood out as some of the more abstract uses of colour and texture in the exhibit. Williamson, who using acrylic manages to capture such details as the vague reflection cast by a mountain on a foggy lake, is adept at painting scenes which, although obviously abstract, draw the eye in and across the canvas, moving up and down with the rugged texture left behind by her brush.

UFV students and members of the community have just over two weeks to visit the exhibit before its end on February 7.

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2016

STUDY BREAK v CROSSWORD DOWN 1: Street urchin Disney hero 2: Surname of high profile speaker at UFV on January 10 3: Ancient Greek goddess of the Earth 4: An animal’s loud, angry sound 7: Most recently created Canadian territory 8: Inky cephalopod 10: Same-age sibling 11: To permanently, seriously wound

ACROSS 1: A parent’s sibling 3: Ex-Genesis musician, Peter _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 5: Property ownership document 6: Human-like robot 9: A rage-filled screaming fit 12: Ben Affleck’s 2012 best picture winner 13: Radioactive metal, nuclear reactor fuel 14: Chewable antacid brand

LAST WEEKS ANSWERS ACROSS 1: Earl 3: Fads 5: Ewe 6: Clog 7: Urge 8: Icon 9: ASAP

10: Aura 11: Ohio 12: Res 13: Away 14: Monk

DOWN 1: Enchilada 2: Legendary 3: Feudalism 4: Sleepwalk

Made by Jeff Mijo

v HOROSCOPES

Astrological mysteries interpreted by Mustur Muju

Aries — Mar 21 to Apr 19 Just keep the act up. Nobody even suspects that you don’t know what the word “antidisestablishmentarianism” means. Your secret is safe.

Taurus — Apr 20 to May 20 Nothing bad will happen to you while you speak in Dr. Seuss rhymes this week. But if you mess up the pattern, well… watch out.

Gemini — May 21 to Jun 20 Did you hear about those Scorpios? They think just because they have pincers AND stingers they’re SO cool. C’mon. The crab one has pincers too, and Leo is, y’know, A LION. Scorpions aren’t all that.

Cancer —Jun 21 to Jul 22 Nothing tastes as good as pasta feels (while in your mouth, being eaten).

Leo — Jul 23 to Aug 22 Being a master of astrological mysteries isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. If you thought parking a car at UFV was bad some days, think back to the last time you saw someone park a riding llama. You can’t remember? My point exactly. I should write a Snapshot on this.

Virgo —Aug 23 to Sep 22 My friend recently told me his new hobby is attaching buoys to farm animals. It’s kind of weird, but hey, whatever floats your goat.

Libra — Sep 23 to Oct 22 Feeling down? Here’s a fun tip to brighten up your day! Try having all the vowels in your name legally changed to U. That’s always good for a boost!

Scorpio — Oct 23 to Nov 21 I heard the Geminis have been badmouthing you behind your back. Saying you aren’t even a real scorpion! What do they know? There’s two of them, sure, but that doesn’t make them twice as important..

Sagittarius — Nov 22 to Dec 21 Sometimes an idea doesn’t pan out the way you think it will, and that’s okay! Learn from the failure and move on. Though I hope you’re not a surgeon.

Capricorn — Dec 22 to Jan 19 It’s never too early to start planning for your retirement. Personally, I’d suggest investing in a lawn to tell those dang kids to get off of.

Aquarius — Jan 20 to Feb 18 You’re going to be challenged to a duel this week. The weapon? Obscure music trivia. The stakes? Humanity’s future. Get studying.

Pisces — Feb 19 to Mar 20 Cool it on the Comic Sans, hot shot.

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www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2017

ARTS IN REVIEW v MOVIE REVIEW

The latest in blood and guts Christine is a wrenching retelling of a television first

CHARTS 1

Cheap High Subterranean Suburbia

2

The Evaporators Ogopogo Punk

3

Loans Self-Loaning

4

July Talk Touch

5

Mild High Club Skiptracing

6

Mitchell Ko This is Hell

7

In Drift Better Days

8

The Pack A.D. Positive Thinking

9

P.I.S.S. Lynchin’ Louie Sam

10

Preoccupations Preoccupations

11

Numenorean Home

12

Well Being Well Being

13

Hello Moth Slave in a Stone

14

Joey Alexander Countdown

15

The Prettys Soiree

16

Run The Jewels Run The Jewel 3

17

Black Marble It’s Immaterial

18

Clementine Quite World, Still Lovely

19

Black Pink Square One

20

Duotang New Occupation

16

SHUFFLE AARON LEVY

STATION MANAGER

Florence + the Machine “Shake it Off” “Regrets collect like old friends, here to relive your darkest moments. I can see no way, all of the ghouls come out to play.

And every demon wants his pound of flesh. But I like to keep some things to myself. I like to keep my issues strong.” Truer words?

Kidstreet “Penny Candy” You may recognize this band’s commercial, literally in a car / laptop / something advertisement, hit; simple, beautiful pianos looped over a beachside scene, in the excellent “Song.”

Here, Kidstreet have a little more fun with a tongue twisting verse that also serves as a chorus, without seeming recycled or played out.

Frankie “Mermaid” Frankie is a band made up of Vancouver chanteuses in a project that leaves the impression of a highly collaborative songwriting relationship. Sharing primary vocal responsibilities as well as group harmonies, this band does a lot of things that today’s indie-pop-rock artists are shying away from, emotively and melodically, too.

The New Pornographers “Mass Romantic” Unbelievably previously unshuffled, this song was the announcement of a new identity in Canadian alternative rock, way back in the late-‘90s, the rallying cry for Canadian rock music to embody a more saccharine, even aggressively so, Neko Case fronted powerhouse of established B.C.-wide musicianship.

They’ve stood the time test.

Gold Gloom “C My Bby” With seven releases on their bandcamp, this is a curious case of: A) raising their voices to express concern over their local community, B) local bedroom pop music that struggles to find a voice itself in the growing local music environment, and C) a band quickly welcomed into the fray.

PANKU SHARMA OPINON EDITOR

During a live television broadcast on the morning of July 15, 1974, Christine Chubbuck, a 29-year-old television news reporter from Florida committed suicide on-air. Before drawing her hidden revolver and shooting herself behind the right ear, she proclaimed to the camera that “In keeping with Channel 40’s policy of bringing you the latest in ‘blood and guts,’ and in living colour, you are going to see another first — attempted suicide.” To this day, the surviving recordings of this moment are not available to the public.

Director Antonio Campos tackles the little-known story in his 2016 biographical drama Christine as a close character study. As a viewer (who either watched the trailer or read about it beforehand) you know where the journey is headed, but the film escapes the trappings of the dour and grim death march that might have been the easiest way to present the story or the angle of purity and integrity in journalism that Chubbuck’s final message and influence might suggest.

Through the writing and the performance of Rebecca Hall as Christine, we are given a portrait of someone battling with depression and mental illness who struggles to connect with those around her. Christine is lonely and detached.

Although she lives with her mother, their relationship is marred by fighting and paranoia caused by Christine’s

“moods” (a breakdown is alluded to have brought her down to Florida from a previous life in Boston). Her colleagues at the station are encouraging of her vision but she can’t help but put up walls.

Christine is committed to her vision of journalism and what she sees as a mandate for human interest and local think pieces; early on she has a fight with her producer over the merit of “if it bleeds it leads.” Yet while she is undeniably intelligent, witty, and driven, she is also awkward, tense, and paranoid. It comes across during segments with guests, in her delivery and eyes. There is depth to the character of Christine, we begin to question the validity of her moral crusade and her talent as her judgement begins to waver.

There is an entrancing quiet desperation in Christine, we see it on her physically in the tense manner she holds herself, or in how the whispers and glances of others seem to affect her. She has the energy of a coiled spring or a live grenade.

However, while Rebecca Hall is fantastic, some of the supporting cast are either forgettable or playing below my expectations of their ability (Michael C. Hall as George).

The film’s pacing is also slightly off, and there are quite a few moments in the last third during which I hoped we could get to the point a little bit sooner. At around a twohour runtime, at least 15 to 20 minutes could have been shaved off in favour of a tighter story and better use of Rebecca Hall’s performance.

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2017

ARTS IN REVIEW vALBUM REVIEW

I see I See You struggling to move up in the world MARTIN CASTRO ARTS EDITOR

London indie pop duo The xx’s self-titled 2009 debut made waves almost instantly. The 11-track record was full of songs which, if at times amorphous, turned producer Jaime xx’s (James Thomas Smith) less straightforward electronic repertoire into a more easily palatable collection of would-be late-night anthems. This was the record that spawned “Crystalised,” “Islands,” and “Heart Skipped a Beat,” three songs which, at the time, seemed to show up in ads every commercial break.

I See You, The xx’s newest outing, turns away from the sleek, now-clichéd kind of aesthetic that filled the soundtrack to Nicholas Winding Refn’s Drive in favour of a more grounded record. Opener “Dangerous” sets an oddly European mood to the record which is slowly contemporized over the track’s four-minute runtime, giving way to a bevy of influences which are all homogenized into The xx’s signature half-indie, half-R&B production.

“Lips,” for example, is one of the more energetic (or at least upbeat) tracks on the record.

A siren that could also be a ridiculously muted trumpet snakes its way around vaguely tropical percussion, setting the background for a more contemporary track, which, although it falls under the same aesthetic constraints as modern R&B, manages to avoid using overly-recycled conventions. Other tracks, like “Brave For You” however, rely too much on overproduced soundscapes to make up for what could have been both a more ambitious vocal performance, and a more effective and vivid display of lyricism.

Instrumentally, The xx have it down: their individual sound is (and since their debut has been) distinct, while evidently moving forward on I See You. On tracks like “On Hold,” Smith’s production work leans over into pop, borrowing a mainstream affection for hooks based on essentially nothing more than repetition. Normally that would be grounds for criticism, but as it’s not a technique that’s overused throughout the record, Smith gets away with it.

This said, there are still various tracks on the record (both upbeat and more measured ballads) which fall flat when compared to the rest of the material on the album. “Test Me,” for example, is overly spacious, and given that I See You is a record that’s more or less built around either tight hooks or melodic phrases incorporated throughout songs, it’s strikingly underwhelming both in the context of the record, and as a stand-alone release (which it wasn’t).

One of the best tracks on the record, “Performance” highlights singer Romy Madley Croft’s vocal range. Bookended by the more rambunctious “A Violent Noise” and the sleepy “Replica,” “Performance” succeeds in keeping us interested despite its relatively simple construction; something album closer “Test Me” entirely fails to do, acting more as white noise at the end of the record than a track of its own.

I See You moves past some of the aesthetic constraints that held The xx back on 2012’s Coexist, but still struggles to move out from the shadow of the band’s 2009 debut.

vALBUM REVIEW

MANnish Gambino finally comes into his own on “Awaken, My Love!”

MARTIN CASTRO ARTS EDITOR

I expected Childish Gambino’s (Donald Glover) Awaken, My Love!” to be a continuation of the actor-turned-rapper-now-apparentlyturned-R&B-crooner’s frankly cringe-inducing rap aspirations previously showcased on 2011’s Camp and 2013’s Because The Internet, both of which were decidedly underwhelming and slightly annoying.

Oh man, was it ever a relief to not hear Glover rapping on “Me and Your Mamma,” Awaken’s first track. It was such a relief, actually, that I forgot all about 2014’s Kuwai, on which Glover traded rapping for singing in just as underwhelming a fashion as he rapped on his first two records.

All this preamble to state that I was pleasantly surprised to hear Glover crooning falsetto over butter-smooth production on “Me and

Your Mamma.” (This guy’s singing! And he’s good at it.) As if that wasn’t enough, at two minutes, the track abandons all pretensions of not being funk and Glover starts belting out soul that made me wonder just who it was that sat him down sometime in the past two years and made him listen to a lot of James Brown and Otis Redding.

“Have Some Love” blends the quirky theatricality Glover showed affinity for on his previous records with no-nonsense funk essentials to produce a track that’s equally tongue-in-cheek and soulful. If Glover’s newfound incorporation of soul giants wasn’t apparent enough, the track plays like a direct love letter to Sly & The Family Stone.

“Boogieman” introduces more modern aesthetics into the record’s palate, overlaying a straight funk bassline with a hook reminiscent of ‘70s television intros. Something “Riot” embraces entirely, and to great effect. Glover

sounds nothing like the hipster-rap darling he seemed to so earnestly want to be early in the 2010s, and instead furthers his own artistic output with tracks like “Redbone,” one of the most solid soul tracks of 2016. (At times, however, it’s impossible to avoid comparisons to Raphael Saadiq’s 2011 Stone Rollin’, even though Glover manages to update the “retro” aesthetic that comes with making a soul or funk record today.)

If anything, the record could have been a little more concise. “California” and “Terrified,” while not bad tracks, weigh the record’s middle section down, dragging momentum from a product that’s otherwise explicitly sure of what it aims to be. That said, “Baby Boy” should convince any dubious ears of Glover’s newfound, if not mastery over, then at least enthusiasm with a genre which, all things considered, seems to be making a glorious resurgence of late.

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www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2017

ARTS IN REVIEW vALBUM REVIEW

The Cascade is hiring a Production Assistant!

Nine Inch Nails revisits angry industrial noise on Not the Actual Events KAT MARUSIAK COPY EDITOR

At the end of 2015, Trent Reznor thrilled fans when he announced that there would be new Nine Inch Nails on the way in 2016 — the first since the release of Hesitation Marks in 2013.

Busy with several other projects (including the score for The Patriot and an original eight-minute soundtrack for NASA’s short film about the Juno mission, “Visions of Harmony”) he kept fans in suspense almost the entire year, finally reminding everyone in October that 2016 wasn’t over yet. During an interview with Rolling Stone magazine on December 16, when asked about the lack of any new releases, Reznor was quoted joking that “those words did come out of my mouth, didn’t they? Oh, yeah, it’s December, isn’t it? Just wait and see what happens.” Soon after, Not The Actual Events was officially announced and preorders became available on the NIN website in only two formats: the one-sided vinyl of the EP (which includes a HD digital copy), and a package including the digital copy as well as a “physical component,” with the explanation that “the intention of this record is for it to exist in the physical world, just like you.” This mystery item will be sent out sometime this month for those who purchased the package to “deal with,” as written in the product description. Neither the website nor Reznor himself have revealed what this component is exactly, but images have leaked online of a black envelope containing what appears to be press info documents covered in some kind of black powder.

The album was officially released on Dec. 23 of 2016, and though the band has always involved some degree of collaboration — one man can’t play every instrument when performing live — this is the first NIN album released with Trent Reznor no longer solo — Atticus Ross, who has been working with him for quite some time (including on the projects previously mentioned, and notably their Oscar-winning score for the 2011 film, The Social Network), has been made the first other official member of the band.

Not The Actual Events consists of five tracks, all of varying length, from 1:40 to six minutes. Reznor explained the decision to make it an EP — only the second for NIN since 1992’s Broken — saying that “it’s an EP because that ended up being the proper length to tell that story.”

Right from the opener “Branches / Bones,” Not The Actual Events contains so much intensity that it’s practically full to bursting — the kind of pent-up energy and emotion that gets your blood pumping along with the beat and makes you want to start singing out loud. A hard, steady tempo pulses in your ears, tension building during the verses until the explosive chorus, where Reznor’s slightly distorted voice screams: “Feels like I’ve been here before / Yeah, I don’t know anymore / And I don’t care anymore / I think I recognize.” The song reaches a fever pitch before abruptly cutting off to the next track.

Flowing, electronic vibes follow in “Dear World,” which offers some social commentary on the digitial age of the internet and social media, and how it can help connect us while at the same time also being able to make us feel more isolated and alienated than ever before. The verses play like poetry set to music,

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the lyrics spoken softly by Reznor; so softly at times that it’s intentionally doubtful you’ll catch every line on first listen. The chorus is much more melodic, with Reznor singing in a smooth, forlorn voice: “I’m trapped inside here, have to stay / With people who aren’t here, all the way / Pictures and faces on display / Of people who aren’t here all the way.” The track opens and finishes with an eerie, automated voice saying: “Yes, everyone seems to be asleep.”

“She’s Gone Away” marks a more notable throwback to the ‘90s industrial metal and noise rock NIN sound, with a triballike, slow, heavy drumbeat that is almost hypnotic. Visceral, raw emotion reverberates in a way that feels both similar to older NIN offerings while at the same time also akin to the more recent work of Reznor and Ross outside of the band, keeping it familiar but fresh. Reznor’s wife and fellow How to Destroy Angels band member, Mariqueen Maandig is also featured doing backup vocals on this haunting track.

The album then smoothly transitions to the faster-paced “The Idea of You,” featuring the legendary Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters) slaying on the drums, reminiscent of his work with Reznor on the 2005 NIN album, With Teeth. Creepy piano and dark, poignant wordplay weaves throughout, with a somewhat bemused sounding Reznor’s pondering, and urging to “Just go back to the idea of me.”

Closing out the album, “Burning Bright (Field on Fire)” combines a harsh, grainy aesthetic with plenty of synthesizers and screaming cacophonies. Reznor’s love of layering creates a varied soundscape of rhythms, vocals, and angry distortion. Jane’s Addiction’s Dave Navarro adds to the epic chaos, contributing killer guitar playing.

The track brings the album to a close with the kind of ending that almost hurts, makes you anticipate it being over, but then when the silence hits heavy, you find your finger reaching for the replay button.

Many fans have lauded this EP as a welcome return to the harder, grittier industrial rock NIN was known for in the ‘90s.

Though Not The Actual Events is a fantastic EP that I believe the majority of NIN fans will love, I’m not sure it’s necessarily one I would recommend for a first-time listener. Newer fans who are not as familiar with NIN’s earlier material and / or not already fans of the industrial genre may find the EP to be a bit on the abrasive side. As Reznor explained, “This was an unfriendly, fairly impenetrable record that we needed to make,” and which is “made to be played loud.” As a hardcore fan of Reznor’s music past and present, I appreciate the full spectrum of his work, but also recognize how this unique, somewhat harsher sound can be a bit of an acquired taste and harder for some to appreciate on first listen.

Reznor once gave a description of Broken that also fits Not The Actual Events well: “[this record is] an abrasive, hard-to-listen-to thing… I wanted to make a record that the first time you hear it you don’t like it, but you might want to hear it again, but by the third time it’s pretty cool. By the fifth time, you really like it and possibly by the tenth time you’re not sick of it and now it all makes sense.” Well, after listening to the record over 30 times by this point, I still love this EP, and highly anticipate the promised release of more NIN coming later this year.

The Production Assistant helps design and lay out sections of The Cascade as directed by the Production Manager.

This includes, but won’t always be limited to, managing photos, caption spaces, and insertion of text in sections as assigned.

To apply send a resumer, cover letter, and portfolio to joel@ ufvcascade.ca by Jan. 21.

MAGIC

The Chilliwack Arts & Cultural Centre Society presents

Cabaret of Wonders Join an extraordinary gathering of magicians for the later cabaret style show at 10pm!

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You can even bring bar drinks into the Theatre if you are 19+ 7:30 &10pm

JANUARY 604

Tickets

All seats: $20

CHILLIWACK

CULTURAL CENTRE

391.SHOW

20

The Chilliwack

Progress 9201 Corbould St., Chilliwack • www.chilliwackculturalcentre.ca

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2017

ARTS IN REVIEW v NETFLIX

Netflix’s Dirk Gently is absurd in the best way

JEFF MIJO

CULTURE EDITOR

I only got around to watching one show over the winter break, and through some considerable luck, it turned out to be one that, while certainly not for everyone, was definitely for me.

Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency shares a title and title character with Douglas Adam’s lesser-known series (also author of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy), but from my understanding of the books, it shares little else. This re-imagining transplants the thoroughly English character to Washington state with an original story and a new personality.

Despite the character’s new direction, writer Max Landis does an excellent job of providing Adams-esque humour without directly mimicking his style. The story is a bizarre, absurd experience that revels in its own confusion and silliness and provides plenty of wordy, dryly humorous conversations. Despite that, it’s tough to classify Dirk Gently wholly as a comedy. And despite the word “detective” being in the title, it’s not a great mystery.

It has plenty of more dramatic and serious moments, but a large portion of the show is focused on the theme of confusion, with characters from all of the numerous factions knowing as little or less than the viewer and frequently commenting on it. It makes for a unique eight-episode run, which you can try to piece together as you go (and some answers can certainly be guessed well ahead of their reveal) but it’s perhaps best to just let the absurdity

wash over you.

This confusing and tangled plot centres on Todd Brotzman, a bellhop portrayed by Elijah Wood who is drawn into a web of intrigue when he discovers a gruesome murder in the penthouse of the hotel he works at. Wood’s acting is top notch, and despite his memorable voice and face, by the end of the first episode I’d managed to stop thinking of him as Frodo. He soon encounters Samuel Barnett as Dirk Gently, a detective who claims to solve mysteries through fate, putting him in the right place at the right time rather than by actual deduction. The character is a sort of manic, fast-talking eccentric who, while not the most original in execution, does provide plenty of the show’s humour with his unbridled enthusiasm and optimism. A large supporting cast of memorable characters both aids and impedes the two, but special mention has to go to Jade Eshete as the murder victim’s unexpectedly complex bodyguard, and Aaron Douglas as one of the most entertainingly bumbling villains I’ve seen in a very long time.

Another draw of the series for me was the location. While set in Washington, like so many shows it was filmed in B.C. and more specifically, portions were filmed in Mission and Maple Ridge. One might think that after years of seeing areas I drive through daily on TV it would get old, but there’s still a definite thrill to pausing a scene and saying “I know that gas station!”

As I mentioned, however, this show isn’t for everyone. It requires a viewer with a high tolerance for absolute absurdity and

delayed, sometimes unsatisfying answers. It is by no means a straightforward, conventional procedural, and for some people the ridiculousness of the sci-fi elements, the characters, and the situation as a whole will be off-putting. However, the show hits its peak early and maintains its level of quality, so if you aren’t hooked by the end of the second episode, you’re not going to get anything more out of continuing.

That said, the running theme of destiny and predetermined fate did wear a bit thin for me as the show went on. I understand that it’s central to the conceit of the original books — that Dirk’s “holistic” investigation method means the universe always places him in the right place at the right time. Another character, Fiona Dourif ’s Bart Curlish plays a foil to Dirk as a holistic assassin who kills whoever the universe puts in front of her. This idea gives the show a free pass for whatever deus ex machina is needed to resolve any plot point, but perhaps that’s a blessing in disguise for a show as complicated as this.

In the end, Dirk Gently held my attention and got me to binge more episodes than I’d intended on multiple occasions. The series is available on Netflix, and if any aspect of it intrigues you, it’s well worth giving a chance. I’m certainly looking forward to season 2, and I’m glad I stumbled across the show… or perhaps the universe put it in front of me as the answer to a question I didn’t have.

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www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2017

UPCOMING EVENTS JAN

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INDIGENIZING THE CURRICULUM @ B121 (UFV Abbotsford) 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM MYCAMPUSLIFE INFO SESSION @ D204 12:00 PM @ D221 4:00 PM

JAN

24 JAN

JAN

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CELTIC NIGHT AT TRACTORGREASE @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack) 7:00 PM MYCAMPUSLIFE INFO SESSION @ A1202 12:30 PM

JAN

20 JAN

21 JAN

22 JAN

23 20

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SHAWN FARQUHAR’S CABARET OF WONDERS - V @ Chilliwack Cultural Centre 7:30 PM & 10:30 PM MERKULES & MUGG SHOT @ Main Street Night Club (Chilliwack) 7:00 PM

TEA TIME WITH ELDER @ Indigenous Student Centre (UFV Abbotsford) & Elders Lounge (UFV Chilliwack) 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM

JAN

26

INFLUENCES OF METIS WORKSHOP @ U House (UFV Abbotsford) 12:00 - 3:00 PM RAVENS BREWING PAIRING DINNER @ Townhall Public House (Abbotsford) 6:00 PM

JAN

26

TEA TIME WITH ELDER

@ Elders Lounge (UFV Chilliwack) 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM

BELL LET’S TALK DAY FOR MENTAL HEALTH

OPERATION AVALANCHE @ Silver City 7:00 PM TRUTH & RECONCILIATION COMMISSION REPORT READING SESSIONS @ B140 (UFV Abbotsford) 11:30 AM - 12:45 PM

CANADIAN GUITAR QUARTET

HALO (PLAY)

@ Abbotsford Arts Centre 7:30 PM

JAN

30

TRUTH & RECONCILIATION COMMISSION REPORT READING SESSIONS

@ B140 (UFV Abbotsford) 11:30 AM - 12:45 PM SIGNIFICANCE OF UFV DECLARATION WORKSHOP

@ A1454 (UFV Chilliwack) 12:00 - 3:00 PM

JAN

TEA TIME WITH ELDER

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@ Elders Lounge (UFV Chilliwack) 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM

JAN

CLIMATE CHANGE: A CHANGE OF WIND

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CANADIAN GUITAR QUARTET

@ Chilliwack Cultural Centre 7:30 PM

@ Lifetime Learning Centre (Mission) 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM STUDY ABROAD EXPO

@ SUB atrium (UFV Abbotsford) 11:00 AM - 4:30 PM TEA TIME WITH ELDER

INFLUENCES OF METIS WORKSHOP

10TH WORLD RELIGIONS CONFERENCE

@ Townhall Public House (Abbotsford) 6:00 PM

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TEA TIME WITH ELDER

@ Indigenous Student Centre (UFV Abbotsford) 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM

@ Library Rotunda - G102 (UFV Abbotsford) 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM

RAVENS BREWING PAIRING DINNER

JAN

LETHAL LUAU MURDER MYSTERY EVENT

@ Indigenous Student Centre (UFV Abbotsford) & Elders Lounge (UFV Chilliwack) 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM

@ U House (UFV Abbotsford) 12:00 - 3:00 PM THE BLACKWALL BASH @ Manning Park 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM

@ Abbotsford Arts Council 2:30 - 4:30 PM

@ Matsqui Centennial Auditorium 7:30 PM

DROP-IN CRAFTS @ Student Life (UFV Chilliwack) 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

TEA TIME WITH ELDER @ Elders Lounge (UFV Chilliwack) 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM

RECORDING MUSIC FEARLESSLY

@ The Stage (Mission) 6:00 PM

CAREER EXPLORATION & LIFE PLANNING WORKSHOP @ G180 (UFV Abbotsford) 4:30 - 7:00 PM

SONGWRITERS UNITE! @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack) 7:00 PM

WALK MISSION - FRASER RIVER HERITAGE PARK @ Fraser River Heritage Park 10:00 - 11:00 AM

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COMMUNITY ELDERS TEA @ UFV Abbotsford 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM FRIENDS WITHOUT BORDERS @ Global Lounge - B223 (UFV Abbotsford) 4:00 - 6:00 PM

THE CASCADE EGM @ S2111 3:00pm THERE IS PIZZA

RECONCILIATION: ESTABLISHING HARMONIOUS RELATIONS WORKSHOP @ U-House (UFV Abbotsford) 11:30 AM - 12:45 PM

BOOK DISCUSSION, SAINT AUGUSTINE: THE CITY OF GOD @ Lifetime Learning Centre (Mission) 1:30 - 3:30 PM

JAN

HALO (PLAY) @ Abbotsford Arts Centre 7:30 PM

@ Columbia Bible College (Abbotsford) 6:00 - 8:45 PM HALO (PLAY)

@ Abbotsford Arts Centre 7:30 PM

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