The Cascade Vol. 22 No. 14

Vol. 22 Issue 14

www.ufvcascade.ca

May 7, 2014 to May 20, 2014

Holding hands with oblivion since 1993

Taking off P. 5

Chilliwack campus firing range to be moved in 2015 p. 3

Visual arts grad show going on now p. 10-11

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NEWS

News

Briefs ATM mystery solved

News

5

Opinion

6

Culture

13

Arts

17

Sports & Health

20

WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

Aviation grads take flight

Celebrating their successful completion of the aviation program, UFV’s newest certified pilots received their wings on May 2.

Katherine Gibson reports on program details and the ongoing gender disparity in the air.

Coming soon: Screens!!!

Summer is upon us and that means enjoying the great outdoors with your iPhone — what!? Parks Canada is soon to be introducing Wifi hotspots in their national parks. Katie Stobbart shares her thoughts.

New art exhibit on display at the Reach

Ashley Mussbacher describes the entrancing, abstract artwork of Myrtle-Anne Rempel, Simone Jones, and more.

Philosophy and psychology in conversation

After reading Nadine Moedt’s interview with UFV instructor Peter Raabe, check out Chris DeMarcus’ review of his new book, which proposes a theory of mental illness outside of biological terms.

Need-to know-information

Brittney Hensman takes a look at naturopaths as an alternative to medical clinics — the one thing they have in common? It’s good to know what you’re talking about before you listen to either.

Some of you may be wondering what happened to the ATM outside of the cafeteria. The machine is the responsibilty of SUS and sources say someone made an attempt to break into the machine. They were unsuccessful, but damage was done, so it has been sent out for repairs and will eventually return.

Health and dental referendum SUS second attempt to pass their health and dental referendum was successful. The question ran from April 10 to 16 and asked for a $159.92 increase to the student fee for increased services. The second question asked to tie all SUS fees, not just health and dental, to inflation; it was unsuccessful, meaning there are more referendums in the future regarding the cost of services for students.

Homelessness crisis gets pricey The Abbotsford News obtained documents detailing the cost to remove the homeless protest camp from Jubilee Park in December.

Through a Freedom of Information request it was determined that the clean-up cost the city upwards of $60,000, not including legal costs, which were withheld. In response to the camp’s dismantling, a teepee was relocated to the now expanded homeless camp on Gladys Avenue. A solution for the ongoing homeless debate in Abbotsford has yet to be determined.

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Email news@ufvcascade.ca or tweet at @CascadeNews

Volume 22 · Issue 14 Room C1027 33844 King Road Abbotsford, BC V2S 7M8 604.854.4529 Editor-in-chief dessa@ufvcascade.ca Dessa Bayrock Managing editor michael@ufvcascade.ca Michael Scoular Business manager joe@ufvcascade.ca Joe Johnson

News editor jess@ufvcascade.ca Jess Wind

Production manager stewart@ufvcascade.ca Stewart Seymour

Printed By International Web exPress

Opinion editor brittney@ufvcascade.ca Brittney Hensman

Art director anthony@ufvcascade.ca Anthony Biondi

The Cascade is UFV’s autonomous student newspaper. It provides a forum for UFV students to have their journalism published. It also acts as an alternative press for the Fraser Valley. The Cascade is funded with UFV student funds. The Cascade is published every Wednesday with a circulation of 1500 and is distributed at UFV campuses and throughout Abbotsford, Chilliwack, and Mission. The Cascade is a member of the Canadian University Press, a national cooperative of 75 university and college newspapers from Victoria to St. John’s. The Cascade follows the CUP ethical policy concerning material of a prejudicial or oppressive nature.

Submissions are preferred in electronic format through e-mail. Please send submissions in “.txt” or “.doc” format only.

Articles and letters to the editor must be typed. 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. The writer’s name and student number must be submitted with each submission. Letters to the editor must be under 250 words if intended for print. Only one letter to the editor per writer in any given edition.

Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of UFV, Cascade staff and collective, or associated members.

Culture editor valerie@ufvcascade.ca Valerie Franklin Arts editor sasha@ufvcascade.ca Sasha Moedt Staff writer nadine@ufvcascade.ca Nadine Moedt

Online editor ashley@ufvcascade.ca Ashley Mussbacher

Staff writer breckles@ufvcascade.ca Taylor Breckles

Copy editor katie@ufvcascade.ca Katie Stobbart

News writer katherine@ufvcascade.ca Katherine Gibson

Production assistant production@ufvcascade.ca Kaitlyn Gendemann Contributors Martin Castro, Kodie Cherrille, Christopher DeMarcus, Jeremy Hannaford, Jeff Hughes, Melissa Ly, and Tim Ubels Cover image Anthony Biondi ft. Shane Potter

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NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

Indoor firing range to alleviate gunfire noise at CEP KATHERINE GIBSON

THE CASCADE

Students will no longer have to study to the sound of gunshots at UFV’s CEP campus when construction starts on a new indoor firing range in fall of 2015.

Currently, the RCMP uses an outdoor firing range across from the new Agricultural Centre of Excellence, a training facility UFV agreed to preserve when it bought the property in 2006.

Although UFV has worked hard to moderate the effect of the firing range on campus, soundproofing windows and negotiating a ceasefire during exam periods, executive director of facilities and campus development Craig Toews notes that the firing range is not conducive to academic life. UFV has been lobbying for years to have an indoor firing range built, which Toews emphasizes is a group effort supported by all parties involved. “[UFV] has been lobbying for the common cause,” Toews says. “The [RCMP] commander, the commissioner, our local MPs — they’re all onboard with trying to get an indoor firing range because [an outdoor range] isn’t consistent with … a university campus.”

Toews has spent years collecting complaints from stu-

Image: UFV

The new RCMP firing range will find its home across the street from the Trades and Technology Centre. dents, faculty, and the public to convince Ottawa of the importance of funding a new indoor firing range. Combining these complaints with additional factors, such as the presence of animals now on campus in the

agricultural building, project lobbyists were finally able to persuade the federal government and a few months ago the project was funded.

When construction begins in 2015, the firing range will

be moved across from UFV’s Trades and Technology Centre.

While the range will still be on campus, Toews says that the move will not affect the students’ quality of learning in these buildings.

“The firing range doesn’t pose as much of a problem with the Trades and Technology Centre because a lot of the trades students are working in fairly noisy environments [already],” he notes. “Part of their safety equipment is earplugs.”

The Chilliwack Economic Partners Corporation (CEPCO) will also be taking the lead in developing this project, working with local groups and labor forces to ensure that building will be done in a timely and effective manner. Noting that Ottawa was initially hesitant to give a local group control over the project, Toews believes that CEPCO’s management role will ultimately allow government funds to be used in the best way possible.

“The fact that CEPCO is taking the lead on the project is a really positive piece of [the puzzle] because they work in the private world and can deliver the project much quicker and much more economically than, say, Government Canada’s Public Works,” Toews concludes. “From [UFV’s] perspective, we’re excited that they’re leading it … because we know that local players will be delivering. They know all the dynamics here and all the contractors and sub-trades to leverage [this project] locally.”

Celebrating the best of UFV grads NADINE MOEDT

THE CASCADE

In its 40 years of churning out educated students of all disciplines, UFV boasts over 30,000 graduates. But who of these accomplished alumni should be recognized and congratulated for their success?

It’s time to find out who makes the grade as the alumni association’s “Top 40” contest seeks out prestigious nominees with impressive resumes.

Nominees are sought who have succeeded in excelling in various areas. Categories include: • Community, national, and international contributions • Commitment to others • Acted with selflessness and/or courage • Leadership • Creativity and innovation • Career and professional excellence As long as a person fits the criteria of alumni — that is, has graduated from Fraser Valley College, UCFV, or UFV or completed 30 credits or more before 2004 — he or she can be nominated.

According to Nancy Armitage, manager of alumni engagement, the alumni association wishes to celebrate the extensive network of contributions UFV’s alumni have made.

“In this 40th anniversary year we want to acknowledge

their contributions and raise awareness about the impact that they are having both locally and beyond,” Armitage says.

The nomination form, which can be found on the alumni association’s home page, takes about 10 minutes to fill out. A resumé, headshot of the nominee, and paragraph on why you think your nominee should be singled out for distinction is required for a completed application.

According to the alumni association, a “special task force” will be assembled for the job of reviewing applications and judging which UFV grad has succeeded the most in life.

Successful candidates will be featured in the fall issue of Skookum, UFV’s promotional magazine, and will be celebrated again at the annual donor and alumni appreciation event which takes place in October.

If that’s not incentive enough for taking the time to fill out a nomination form, the alumni association is offering a chance to win a pair of return tickets to any WestJet destination.

However, current UFV employees and alumni association board members are exempt from the contest, so nominating your UFV-native instructor won’t get you to Montreal this summer.

According to Armitage, the top 40 campaign is focused on “discovering our talented

Image: UFV/ flickr

UFV is looking to honour its alumni as part of its 40th anniversary celebrations. alumni who are not as immediately connected to the institution.

“Committee members felt that UFV has some other excep-

tional ways of rewarding the full-time employee talent base here at UFV,” Armitage says.

“Full time employees will be honored through employee

awards, rather than through the top 40 alumni awards.”

Anyone else is fair game, so get nominating.

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NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

Science on Purpose

Teflon plus water equals suitable sticky surface for geckos JESS WIND

THE CASCADE

We know geckos are sticky; they can cling to glass surfaces and scale ceilings. We know a Teflon frying pan is not, having revolutionized the art of the perfect breakfast.

What happens when they come into contact with each other?

It is this kind of question, and many others like it, that have kept researchers at the University of Akron (UA) busy for years.

When the lizards tried to stick to Teflon material, they had trouble, meaning the material really stands up to its nonstick name. Then one inquisitive undergraduate student asked what would happen if the Teflon was underwater.

Alyssa Stark, a doctoral candidate in UA’s bioscience program released a study in 2012 that tested a gecko’s ability to stick to different surfaces.

They lose their adhesion on glass, but remain stuck to waxy leaves in their natural environment thanks to the science of wettability. Glass has high wettability, which leads to a film forming between the surface and the gecko’s feet, impeding adhesion.

Stark told the Akron Beach Journal she didn’t have an answer for the undergraduate student’s question.

“I also didn’t think the results would be all that interesting. If they don’t stick in air why should they stick in water?” she said. But they ran

Image: Anthony Biondi

Geckos had trouble sticking to Teflon ... until they got it wet. the study and were surprised when the little lizards remained stuck to the non-stick surface when wet.

“There is an important moral

to this story,” Stark said. “Always listen to your students.”

The secret to the gecko’s stickiness is their feet. They have tiny hairs on the pads of

their feet that allow cling to surfaces.

“They have hairy much like bristles thousands of them

them to toes — — with in one

square millimeter, tipped with something called a spatula, so tiny that it is not much larger than the wavelength of visible light,” wrote Jim Carney in the Akron Beach Journal.

Think Spider-Man with less radioactive spider venom.

Stark, along with her research team, is working on a paper to come out in a few months detailing the discovery.

It means big things for researchers focused on adhesive materials like, Dr. Ali Dhinojwala, who is working with the geckos. One of the biggest challenges, he explained, is finding materials that stick, but also release. Duct tape is manufactured to stick forever.

With that comes the search for materials that stick to wet surfaces.

“Ninety per cent of the time I get calls from companies and organizations to help me design material which would stick in water,” said Dr. Ali Dhinojwala, one of the lead researchers focused on adhesive materials.

Biology professor Dr. Peter Niewiarowski, another researcher working with the geckos noted that as they discover more things about the gecko’s unique abilities, the possibilities for sticky technology are endless.

“I think we really still don’t understand how geckos deal with wet environments and remain sticky,” he said. “We don’t know if they avoid wet surfaces or avoid being active when surfaces are wet or if they have some other tricks.”

Waste to energy facility … or just incineration?

MELISSA LY

CONTRIBUTOR

What if garbage could be reduced to 20 per cent of its mass and converted into energy in the process? It’s a great idea in theory, but in practice there is more science behind the term “waste to energy” (WTE).

In a WTE facility, waste is broken down with thermal mechanisms to create energy.

The leftover incinerated waste comes out as toxic ash, which needs to be landfilled in hazardous waste facilities.

A WTE facility poses many environmental, economic, and health concerns.

Douw Steyn, an atmospheric scientist at the University of British Columbia who has been studying air quality issues in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley for more than 30 years, explained what to expect with a new facility.

“Expect more coughing, smog, and respiratory illness if regional garbage incineration plan goes forward,” he told the Vancouver Observer in February.

When Steyn advised Metro-Vancouver that the Lower Mainland was a poor place (due to coastal wind patterns and the nature of its geography) for a garbage incinerator,

Image: Lairich Rig

The proposed incinerator could mean compromised air quality. his funding was pulled.

Jessica Morrison, environmental services coordinator for the Fraser Valley Regional District, points out how a WTE facility would discourage waste reduction.

She explains there are two levels to re-using and recycling; Metro-Vancouver promotes the first level, (source separation) in which individu-

als and businesses separate their own recyclables and recoverable material (blue bin recycling).

“Up to 40 per cent of what makes its way into garbage (after source separation) is recyclable or recoverable,” Morrison says.

This is where material recovery would come in, which would take place in processing

facilities, screening and filtering garbage before final disposal.

If Metro-Vancouver put more importance on materials recovery, a WTE facility would not be financially viable.

“If you took [recyclable] material out of the waste stream, [Metro-Vancouver] wouldn’t have enough garbage left over to fuel the furnace in their $517,000,000 garbage burner,” Morrison says.

Not only does the plan for a new WTE facility raise concerns about increasing air pollution and discouraging waste reduction, but the price tag for such a project is uncertain.

“Metro Van has thrown around some numbers such as half a billion dollars, but judging by the experience of other incinerator projects around the world, we think it could actually be twice that,” Jordan Bateman of the Canadian Taxpayer Foundation said to the Vancouver Observer.

Recently, in response to Coquitlam mayor Richard Stewart, Metro-Vancouver has updated its business plan, which is based on the assumption that B.C. Hydro will pay $100 per megawatt hours (MWh) for the electricity the WTE facility would make by classifying burning garbage as a “clean

and renewable” method to generate electricity. Standard sellers are paid as low as $24 per MWh. As of April 30, B.C. Hydro had “made no commitment to purchase energy from a new WTE facility, nor has a commitment been made regarding a price for that energy,” as stated in a letter to Metro-Vancouver.

Without the “clean and renewable“ designation and the funds of $100 per MWh, the project is not financially viable. Even if B.C. Hydro approved, this would mean all B.C. residents would have to pay more for their hydro.

There are alternative solutions out there. San Francisco is one example of a city taking an active environmental standpoint on waste management. It has diverted more than 80 per cent of its waste without having a WTE facility or garbage incinerator.

Metro-Vancouver is in the second of eight phases of implementing a new WTE facility, with the current goal being site identification.

However, section head of coast authorizations Avtar Sundher notes that there has yet to be approval of a new WTE site.

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NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

Aviation grads get their wings KATHERINE GIBSON

THE CASCADE / PHOTOS

For most of us, becoming a pilot means turning on Top Gun and living vicariously through Tom Cruise and his aviators.

But for a select few UFV students, becoming a pilot is now more than a Hollywood dream — it’s a reality.

On May 2, graduates from UFV’s aviation program walked across the stage and got their very own set of “wings,” licensing them to fly privately and commercially. Completing either a two-year diploma program or a four-year business degree alongside their aviation training, these graduates leave equipped to competitively integrate into the industry.

UFV has partnered with Coastal Pacific Aviation for almost 15 years, a fact that has led to a beneficial relationship between these two. Combining hands-on aviation training with formal business education, students are given the opportunity to gain a competitive edge when seeking out future employment.

“Modern pilots, they’re managers. They’re managers of the cockpit, they’re managers of the crew. There’s piloting of course, but their job is management,” explains Coastal Pacific Aviation program coordinator Jacenta Ramdial. “So, if they have a business degree … they understand the business side of it.

“Instead of being a pilot who can only fly a plane, [employers] can use them for all of these other positions too,” she

says. “[Employers] want people with an education. It shows commitment, dedication, and work [ethic] — it says a lot to an employer.”

Students are given extensive hands-on experience, trained in various simulators as well as logging many flight hours.

Students also maintain a strict dress code, wearing uniforms that mimic the professional atmosphere of the workforce.

“This is probably one of the most practical programs at [UFV],” Ramdial says. “It’s hands-on and it’s practical. Everything that you learn here you’re going to directly apply to your work in the future.

“When [students] go to their first job — they’ve seen [everything], they’ve flown,” she says. “It should make their whole transition into the work place a lot easier.”

The employability of these graduates is also enhanced by the industry’s need for new pilots. As Ramdial explains, the aviation industry is facing a pilot shortage with many of its seasoned veterans set to retire in the next 10 years. So far, every student graduating from the program has been placed in a job position, keeping the program’s 100 per cent placement rate from the year before.

Most graduates from this program are male, reflecting the lack of female presence in the industry as a whole. Ramdial notes that only six per cent of pilots in Canada are female, a fact she equates to women simply not realizing that becoming a pilot is a viable option for them.

“It’s always been a man’s industry. And even myself, when I decided that I wanted to become a pilot, people kind of went, ‘oh,’” Ramdial notes. “I had never thought about it. I always wanted to be a flight attendant because that’s what girls flocked towards. Girls flock towards [becoming] flight attendants because no one tells them that they can be a pilot too … it’s an assumption.”

Current graduate Marissa Wolfe is challenging that trend. For her, becoming a pilot means getting to live her dream and open the door to new opportunities.

“The possibilities are endless [and] we can really go anywhere in the world — we’re not capped in,” Wolfe says.

“I read this quote online the other day — it was a picture of a pilot in a cockpit … looking out the window saying, ‘can’t complain looking at this view from 30,000 feet.’ It’s exciting to have that opportunity — we are quite fortunate to get to do this.”

While Wolfe does acknowledge the intensive nature of learning to fly on top of her regular university coursework, she has kept her excitement as she looks back on the experience and her choice to become a pilot.

“I grew up with aviation in my family, but the big thing was, I thought, what better than to be paid to do something that I love every day, get to travel the world, and have opportunities,” Wolfe concludes. “There’s no cap to what we can do from here.”

Women only make up six per cent of pilots in Canada.

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OPINION

OPINION

SNAPSHOTS

Inbox inundation

Brooms up

WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

This week’s theme:

Contrary to popular opinion

Print is not dead

Worth the cram

Katie Stobbart

Jeff Hughes

Stewart Seymour

Taylor Breckles

For the past few days, I have been hard at work cleaning out the inbox of what I’ve sheepishly begun to call my “spam email.”

It’s the account I cite whenever a clerk at a retail outlet asks for my email address.

Well, let me rephrase that … they don’t really ask anymore. They prompt for “email,” “postal code,” and “phone number” in the same expectant voice they use to tell me my total. “Twenty-two fifty” — even the word “please” has disappeared. And yet something about their tone of voice triggers a kneejerk delivery of my personal contact information.

The resulting daily influx of emails is impossible to maintain. It seems like every store I’ve shopped at over the past three years or so sends me a daily update on shoe shipments and electric kettles, or offers a discounts on things I’m not remotely interested in purchasing.

From here on in, I’m taking a stand. Apparently contrary to popular belief, my contact information is private; I do not have to provide it to complete my transaction at any store. My answer, from now on, to retail solicitation is: “No, thank you.”

Quidditch is real, it is a sport, and I’m a fan. No, there are no actual flying brooms, but you can see grown men and women, mostly college students, running around a field with brooms between their legs while they throw balls at one another.

Of course, it’s far from what many would consider to be a mainstream sport. It’s not something you’ll likely ever see on Sportsnet, but it’s out there. It’s physically demanding, has complex rules, and has opposing teams just like hockey, football, or tennis.

There is even an international organization of quidditch teams that puts on tournaments each year. One of these tournaments is coming to Burnaby on July 19, and I will be going. I will watch from the sidelines with some of the more colourful Harry Potter fans dressed as their favourite characters from the series. This fictional sport has made its way from the written word into the real world, and I, for one, am excited to see it.

The arrival of the internet has changed the way we view media. We currently live in a society where many young adults have lived with the worldwide web in existence for their entire lives. Quite significant when you think about it.

Not coincidentally, the industry of print is no longer the juggernaut it used to be. Ad sales are migrating to cyberspace, mail volume is down, and newspapers have been using paywalls to get readers to pay for their online content.

But print is not going down without a fight. People need to realize some of its merits — one of which is our privacy. Our internet browsing profiles are being packaged much more efficiently to advertisers while we deal with an incredible amount of ads bombarding us relentlessly.

Copyright issues are taking some interesting turns as well. When you buy a book, you can share it with anyone you want. Is that the case with an e-book? Not so much. If you hadn’t noticed recently, some of the art and design gracing magazine covers have been amazing.

Print will never be dead.

Contrary to popular opinion, I actually don’t mind exams. Don’t get me wrong, the load of studying still makes me feel like Atlas at times, and is not fun at all.

The exams themselves, however, are surprisingly fun. It’s a great feeling when you start an exam and soon realize you both understand the concepts, and can write a heap on the subject.

There’s a certain pleasure in watching your somewhat sloppy words take over page after page, pouring your answers onto them.

Plus, after being hyped up on caffeine for days in an attempt to ensure a good grade, it’s rewarding to see your studying pay off as you mark off answers in quick succession.

Writing exams also provides a sort of adrenaline rush, which mercifully replaces the gut-twisting anxiety. As long as I know the answers, exams are a rewarding experience; the ice cream I treat myself to afterward is just a bonus.

Facebook in the forest KATIE STOBBART

THE CASCADE

Soon there will be Wifi in the woods. Over the next three years, Parks Canada plans to introduce Wifi hotspots to 150 national parks and historic sites. While the latter does not seem to be a point of contention, the prospect of having wireless internet in Canada’s forests is causing a stir.

I’m not a Luddite, but the idea of wanting Wifi in national parks has me stymied.

Growing up in B.C., I have done my fair share of camping. Every year I have had the opportunity to play in the woods and at beaches with friends, listen for the myriad bird songs, and gaze, mesmerized, into the flickering light and red coals of a fire pit, as a group of us stay up late into the night.

I have a hard time envisioning the internet in that landscape. As technology advanced, my family introduced camping rules: no cell phones, no iPods, no portable DVD players … Now I have this ridiculous image of someone in the next campsite sitting in a folding chair illuminated by the white glare of a laptop screen. The sound of their fingers hitting the keys.

Please, no one start having Sky-

Image: Thijs/ flickr

At least if you meet a bear in the woods and don’t know what to do you can google it. pe conversations in the forest. I can choose not to use Wifi while I’m camping, but unfortunately, I can’t make the rules for everyone else.

Parks Canada director of visitor experience Andrew Campbell explained some of the reasoning for the decision to CTV News: “What we’re trying to do is have

[Wifi] around the spots where people can write a digital postcard home, where they could in the morning pick up and take their digital subscription and read the newspaper when they’re around the campground,” he said, adding that people have been asking for wireless internet services and

Parks Canada hopes to appeal to a younger, more urban audience.

I don’t blame Parks Canada for responding to demand and to a gradual decrease of visitors each year, and I don’t think Wifi in the woods is a trend that will stop.

My frustration is with general attitudes. Why can’t we wait to work

until after the getaway is over?

Why do we have to share all our photos right this second on Facebook? Why can’t we, even just for one weekend, pick up a physical newspaper to read, then use it to start the campfire for dinner later?

Maybe I am a bit of a Luddite — at least when it comes to camping, hiking … to being in nature and not being on the internet while nature happens to be there. I guess my problem is that I don’t see Wifi being necessary to the activities that happen in national parks; it detracts from the experience rather than enhancing it.

When I enter a park and I smell the cedar and pine scent; when I tip my head back to see how far up the trees reach or see the enormity of a mountain up close; when I gaze at the still, mirror-like surface of a lake just before a fish leaps into the dawn, I am awed. I feel so much love for it.

I understand the need to feel connected. But people striding along trails with their phones pressed to their ears, as if they’re walking down the sidewalk on their way to the office, are not truly connected.

I’m sad to think of the true connection they’re really missing.

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OPINION

WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

The best ship to be on is friendship NADINE MOEDT

THE CASCADE

In When Harry Met Sally, Harry declares that opposite sex friendships are impossible because “the sex part always gets in the way.”

Whether or not this is true in a 1980s rom-com, it has become a perennially posed and frustrating question. Can women and men be friends? Or does the spectre of sex hang over every gesture?

For most of us the answer is straightforward. We travel in circles of mixed sexes and have long since graduated from the high school dramatics of “friend-zoning.”

Anecdotal experience shows this is not always the case.

My first semester at UFV was a lonely one. The campus had few common areas to meet people in, and being a commuter campus, provided a rather cold atmosphere for a new student looking to make friends. Once I’d (mostly) recovered from my awkwardness at attempting to talk to the strangers in my classes, I found my attempts to be friendly resulted in an interesting pattern; girls were receptive, and guys interpreted these attempts as flirting.

Perhaps it was my fault. Perhaps I was sending unintentional signals that indicated an interest in something more than casual social interaction.

Psychological experiments have

Image: levelsave.com/ Battleblock Theatre

“I said ‘I like your hair,’ not ‘will you marry me!’” documented a male inclination toward assuming sexual interest in innocent female friendliness.

An interesting example of this male proclivity to sexual inference

comes from the wonderful world of customer service, as reported by a R.K. Browne in Managerial and Decision Economics. A grocery store chain implemented a “supe-

rior customer service” program which required its employees to smile and make eye contact with customers. Female employees reported a spike in overt sexual com-

ments, come-ons, and in some cases stalking. Eventually a number of employees filed sexual harassment charges against the grocery chain.

I’ve found this to be true in my own experience in working in customer service; for some customers, the required small talk and polite greeting is mistaken for flirtatiousness, and the result is unpleasant for both parties. The woman resentfully finds herself obliged to come up with excuses so as to not hurt feelings or egos. The man slinks out and waits to try his luck with the next smiling barista, server, or grocery clerk.

The problem is once there has been a rejection of advances, any future social contact has been killed before it’s begun.

In some cases, the person making those advances could have made a good platonic friend; the question I asked myself in that first semester at UFV was if I presented myself as interesting enough to be ask out, why can’t I be interesting enough to have a conversation with? Was the potential for friendship less important than the potential for sex?

Women don’t want a poorly delivered pick-up line and the fluffing of some unimpressive feathers.

Ask us out as a friend; you’ll find the experience much more rewarding than the usual pillowed rejection.

Tipping choices: not as real as you think ASHLEY MUSSBACHER

THE CASCADE

If you’ve ever been to the Canadian prairies, you’re probably familiar with the rolling landscape, the dirt roads, the sudden and extreme changes in weather, and the stereotypes of the people who inhabit that mountain-less space.

One of those stereotypes is the belief that the people who live in places like “middle-of-nowhere” Saskatchewan or Manitoba have nothing to do; they drive slowly, they’re laid back, they eat pieces of wheat from the root and not the flower (which makes no sense at all), and on Saturday nights they go out drunk to tip cows.

Tip cows? First off, whoever came up with that story must never have seen a cow in real life.

They’re huge.

In 2005, a study led by zoologist Margo Lillie from the University of British Colombia concluded that it would take a force of 2,910 newtons to push over a one-ton cow. That kind of force would take two to four people, and it would require that the cow did not adjust its footing to stop itself from falling.

If you’ve ever been around a cow, you know it’s difficult to sneak up on them. They have an excellent sense of hearing and smell. Also, cows don’t sleep standing, and they are very capable of getting up off the ground. Which means cowtipping would be pointless.

But customers who tip service workers are quickly turning into a myth.

If you’re unfamiliar with the

Image: Mikel Ortega

Is it a requirement to tip when you’ve been provided with poor service? term “tipping a service worker,” I don’t mean sneaking up on a waiter and pushing him over. Tipping is another word to describe when a customer pays a gratuity.

For years tipping has remained optional, the amount up to the customer’s discretion. Recently, however, some companies have instituted a mandatory gratuity charge, at 20 per cent of the bill amount.

I have a few issues with this.

While it’s true most customers, like cows, don’t tip, the very term “mandatory tipping” is an oxymoron. Tipping is, and should remain, a voluntary act. Employers should encourage their workers to uphold

a standard of service by not only paying the worker a decent wage (not subsidizing it with a mandatory gratuity), but by allowing them to earn that extra bit of cash from the customer.

It also raises the question of how much of that mandatory gratuity is actually making into the service worker’s hand and not into their employer’s pocket.

That’s the nice thing about cash.

You can hand it directly to the worker and know it went to them, and not through a third party who will probably skim the cream from the top.

But what if you have to pay a

mandatory tip for bad service?

I was once eating out at a restaurant when a waitress came up to my table and said that I had to leave, because people were waiting and she needed the table. I had barely finished my meal. Did I tip her? Hell no.

A mandatory gratuity assumes every worker is giving the best service possible and every customer is leaving happy. That’s a total pipe dream. Even in the best situations, you’re going to have that one person who cannot be pleased no matter what. Their waiter could travel to Costa Rica for the beans in their coffee and they would complain

about the strength. On the flip side of that coin, you could be the most easy-going customer in the world, yet have a waiter tell you to leave your table because you’re taking up space.

The whole crux of the matter is mandatory tipping doesn’t allow the customer the choice to either increase or decrease the amount based on how they feel the service was. It’s an employer’s solution to non-tipping customers, but for those who do tip, it throws a wrench into the system.

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OPINION

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

Travel for yourself, not for social media RENATA KISKIN

THE SHEAF

SASKATOON (CUP) — On any given day, the breakdown of my Facebook newsfeed looks something like this: 10 per cent witty status updates, 20 per cent interesting links, 30 per cent Buzzfeed quiz results and 40 per cent travel updates from friends who are out exploring the world, often accompanied by a handful of photos from their adventures.

The same can be said for other avenues of social media as well.

Photographs of dreamlike beaches and fantasy-like sunsets inhabit Instagram. Every second Snapchat notification seems to open to a drunken video of another hostel party filled with sunburnt Brits and rambunctious Aussies.

Seeing the world through my smartphone or laptop screen leads me to beg the question: if you don’t Facebook, Instagram, Tweet or Snapchat your travels every step of the way, is it really travelling?

To be clear, I admittedly wish I was the one exploring ancient ruins or enjoying a fancy drink on the beach. But this isn’t about jealousy. I’m not hating on people who are making the world their oyster while I’m stuck here in this weather trying to complete assignments and finals. This is about travelling for yourself and the sake of travelling versus travelling to rub it in everyone else’s faces that you are halfway across the world and having the time of your life.

As cliché as it may sound, trav-

Image: Stephanie Mah/ The Sheaf

“Uploading 20 pictures a day of the same thing and Snapchatting your every move is a bit excessive.” elling is a great way to discover yourself and to develop as an individual. Going to a place where you know absolutely no one and are a complete unknown gives you the opportunity to try new things, make mistakes, meet people and truly live in the moment.

Being thrown into a completely different culture teaches you valuable lessons about being independent, compassionate and openminded. Yet technology seems to

be both thwarting and altering this very experience.

We hear a lot about seizing the moment and making the most out of everyday — after all, we are the YOLO generation — but a lot of that is lost when we are too concerned with making sure we record every beach day, adventurous hike and hostel beer pong tournament.

Travelling should be about exploration, discovery and ex-

periencing different things. It shouldn’t be about living everything through the camera on your smartphone just so you can show your friends back home. And I’m not talking sappy “Wish you were here!” moments, but rather blatantly bragging about how cool your life is on your worldly adventures while the rest of us are trying to find the right balance between school, work and play.

I’ll admit that I enjoy taking pic-

tures and sharing stories on Facebook when I travel, but there is a limit. Once I begin to feel like I am right there beside them, even from the comforts of my homeworkridden life, I can’t help but feel like their travel intentions were skewed somewhere along the way.

When this is done, travelling becomes less about enjoying and learning and more focused on boasting about your experiences.

Posting occasional updates and funny anecdotes is acceptable and even enjoyable to your friends and followers. However, uploading 20 pictures a day of the same thing and Snapchatting your every move is a bit excessive — and quite frankly, it’s annoying.

I’m a firm believer that travelling is one of the best things a person can do for themselves — especially while you’re young and without any job or relationship commitments.

While taking advantage of this, make sure to keep your level of showing off to a minimum — or at least to a respectable level. After all, you didn’t pay a thousand dollars to fly halfway across the world for my enjoyment — you did it for yourself.

Get lost trying to find your hostel, spend a day rafting and getting sunburnt and swap travel stories with new friends over cheap drinks. Revel in the moment because once it’s gone, it becomes a memory — a memory that I can’t wait to hear you share in person once you get home.

Drop the polar bear mascots Using polar bears and animals as symbols for climate change takes attention away from the threat it poses to humans JOSH CAIRNS

THE PEAK

BURNABY (CUP) — Images and symbols are powerful tools. We often recall a single, powerful image when thinking of a major historic event: the end of WWII, the collapse of the Berlin Wall, the end of segregation. Imagery has the ability to represent purpose, significance, and unity. It is unfortunate, though, that climate change has come to be represented by polar bears on melting icebergs.

The use of polar bears and icebergs has perpetuated the idea that climate change is an event that will harm wildlife and nature – not humans. It has fuelled the belief that for each pipeline we approve and for each coal plant we construct, a whale or bear population will face substantial losses.

While true, this has had the disastrous result of altering the reality of climate change from a human issue to one of wildlife. It has created an apparent divide in the public eye: someone who supports action on climate change is an environmentalist or conservationist.

In reality, most of us are humanists.

While rising greenhouse gas emissions that drive climate change will force many species to the brink of extinction, for most of us the primary concern is humanity. We fear the economic and social impacts resulting from cli-

mate change, both now and in the future. We worry about the one to two metres of sea level rise expected by 2100, and how that will put us at risk in the developed world and millions more in extreme danger in developing nations.

We are concerned about severe freshwater shortages and their crippling effects on agricultural production and the provision of drinking water for millions worldwide. We see the looming famines, and fear the amplified rates of malnutrition and starvation that will further plague those already struggling.

We are uneasy about the prospect of increasingly severe and frequent storms, which will put human lives at risk and generate costly damages. We are concerned about heat waves, and the impacts they can have for those without access to cooling systems.

Most alarming are the estimates about the cost of climate change.

The National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy conservatively estimates climate change will cost Canada $5 billion per year by 2020, and may rise to $43 billion per year by 2050.

Nicholas Stern, one of the world’s leading economists, released a report in 2006 estimating that damages from climate change may cost more than 20 per cent of global GDP each year. This is what we are alarmed about: the cost of climate change and how we, humans, will be impacted.

Image: Michael Bamford/ flickr

“Someone who supports action on climate change is an environmentalist or conservationist. In reality, most of us are humanists.”

Some polar bears will indeed suffer, as will countless other species as the climate changes and ecosystems are altered. And while images of polar bears on melting icebergs might be appropriate for some, for the vast majority of

us that study climate change, it couldn’t be more off the mark.

Climate change is a human issue. The longer we hold onto images of animals, the further we foster the perception amongst a fair portion of the public that this is a

choice between saving polar bears or growing our economy. It’s really about saving ourselves. It’s time we adopt a new image to represent climate change — one with a human face.

CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

SUDOKU PUZZLE

CROSSWORD Tea time 1

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by KATIE STOBBART

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EclipseCrossword.com

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ACROSS

Answer keys Last week’s crossword ACROSS

2.

This herbal tea is often touted for its health benefits and antioxidants. (7) 3.

This fine, powdered green tea originating in Japan is also used to colour

and flavour foods like soba noodles or ice cream. (6) 5.

Perhaps contrary to popular belief, this grade of black tea is not actually

named for flavour. (6, 5) 6.

This variety of dark tea produced in China was named after a trading post.

(5) 10.

A blend of tea and spices, often with milk. (4)

DOWN 1 EXTRAPEN 2 PROCRASTINATE 3 CAFFEINE 4 TABLEFLIP 6 CRY 7 STUDY 9 NEGOTIATE

The Weekly Horoscope

4 8 3 7 6 5 2 9 1 2 9 5 1 8 4 3 6 7 1 6 7 3 2 9 8 4 5

5 THERAPY 8 STICKYNOTES 10 NAP 12 FACEBOOK

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Sudoku solution

9 2 4 6 5 7 1 8 3 3 1 8 9 4 2 5 7 6 7 5 6 8 3 1 9 2 4

This tea, named for its inventor, is flavoured with bergamot. (4, 4) The name of this tea is Chinese for “black dragon.” (6) The former name of Sri Lanka still designates the tea it produces. (6) This combination of green tea and roasted brown rice is sometimes called popcorn tea, because some of the rice pops when it is roasted. (9) This herbal tea is often said to aid digestion. (10) A tea famous for its soothing qualities. (9)

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Star Signs from Hamartia Jones

Libra: Sept 23 - Oct 22: Putting your toilet paper in the incorrect underhand position will lead to tragedy.

Aquarius: Jan 20 - Feb 18: Your cell phone carrier thinks your sexts are hilarious.

Gemini: May 21 - June 21: The goblin shark is your spirit animal. (Sorry.)

Pisces: Feb 19 - March 20: Avoid firing ranges unless you have an excellent life insurance policy.

Cancer: June 22 - July 22: It’s time to stop faking your British accent and confess that you’re actually from Langley.

Scorpio: Oct 23 - Nov 21: Hugging strangers until they pay you to stop does not count as a day job.

Aries: March 21 - April 19: Taking up drumming late at night is a great way to finally meet your neighbours faceto-face.

Leo: July 23 - Aug 22: Old episodes of Scooby-Doo will lead you to discover inner peace.

Sagittarius: Nov 22 - Dec 21: Tentacles are a good look for you.

Taurus: April 20 - May 20: Thick, lush nose hair is going to be the next big trend. Be the first to rock it!

Virgo: Aug 23 -Sept22: You should probably stop chain-eating Twinkies.

Capricorn: Dec 22 - Jan 19: Your bestselling novel will completely reinvent the “pirate erotica” genre.

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FEATURE CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2014

Some Assembly Required

www.ufvcascade.ca

Twenty-three BFA grad students throw their latest and greatest work together for a final show

by Ashley Mussbacher Over the semester break, the Abbotsford campus’ C and B buildings were packed wall-to-wall with students, artists, and supporters who witnessed the opening of the largest BFA Grad Show to date.

It’s been no secret that with a grad class of 23 students, such a large exhibition came at significant cost. Earlier in the year the students launched an online campaign over Facebook which raised just over $1,000 from the community, then hosted a raffle night, which brought in another $600. Through a silent auction, grad students sold their artwork and raised about $3,000. The Student Union Society donated another $3,000, and the visual arts department also sponsored the event. Together the students and community raised money to put on an event that cost about $9,000.

But it was worth every penny. The alumni association provided wine, Restaurant 62 provided catering, and the

Learned Compassion by Natasha Mol

Fragility of Self by Alisha Deddens

artists provided a medium for thought.

From social commentary on selfie culture to ideas about memory to questions regarding food production, the 2014 BFA grad show had it all. After opening speeches by President Mark Evered and visual arts department head Tetsuomi Anzai, attendees were free to roam the buildings to observe the installations.

Angie Born’s piece Shame transformed the senior studio into a bedroom complete with laminate flooring, and, of course, bedroom furniture. The comforter featured the word “shame” repeatedly. The piece was a commentary on the gap between the conservative Christian view of sex, which teaches that premarital sex is immoral, and the reality of a person’s sexual experience. Born’s objective is to develop open dialogue on this subject, because, she states, “Open conversation and empathy are antidotes to shame.”

Nieyan Geng addressed the importance of the freedom of speech with her

piece Sensitive List, a book of drawings that includes Chinese symbols slightly altered to change a word that has been censored by the government to an entirely different word or phrase.

Ashley Leclair ’s piece Render depicts animals in digital formatting and placed in a natural environment. Leclair says in her statement: “We play God; creating, destroying, reintroducing ... where animals are nothing but simulations in our technological world.”

Nastasha Mol honoured personal narratives of women who lost their lives in the Holocaust in her piece Learned Compassion. She made dolls by hand, including everything: clothing, wooden suitcases, pieces of their lives, tiny shoes, and even the secrets they kept.

Alisha Deddens’ piece Fragility of Self, a mixed media installation that involved new media and sculpture, is a commentary on the struggle she and her family went through when she had epilepsy.

Overall the show featured a vast amount of skill, sophistication, and teamwork. Deddens explained what it takes to get to this point.

“I think the grad show went really well,” she said. “I heard from people it was one of the best shows UFV has put together. Every artist had something to say about society. The food was great.

The atmosphere was great. I was really happy with it.

“Many of us put in over 100 hours into our projects, some of us more than 300,” she said. “We all worked to put the show together; trying to figure out where we were going to have it was the difficult part, because there are so many of us. If someone had an issue, we talked it out. There was no drama.

Everyone helped out during the installation process. We teamed up to put it together, and for some of the bigger installations we had two or three people working at once.”

WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

FEATURE CULTURE

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“I heard from people it was one of the best shows UFV has put together. Every artist had something to say about society. The food was great. The atmosphere was great.”

Sensitive List by Nieyan Geng

Images: Visual Arts/UFV

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CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

A lesson in style at 2014 grad fashion show JESS WIND

THE CASCADE

If you look closely, you can see signs of the Envision Athletic Centre underneath the long sheets of black fabric and stage lights, but the graduating class of the UFV fashion design department effectively transformed the facility into a high-class fashion show on April 29.

The show, called Absolute Style, showcased highlights from the 11 graduates as well as other work completed by students throughout the year.

Everything from bustiers and bathing suits to children’s wear was sent down the runway to the heavy beat of music, including a remixed track of Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.” Two projector screens provided the backdrop for the stage, which jutted down the centre of the room, lit up in bright white.

Chairs lined the raised platform in the typical U-shape, allowing guests a vantage point from any angle.

After a wine and cheese reception in the foyer, guests were greeted by the excited designers, handed a program, and directed to the seating area. The lights dimmed, the music picked up, and UFV marketing and communications director Leslie Courchesne took her place at the mic, acting as emcee for the evening.

After UFV president Mark Evered and Justin Goodrich, president of the UFV alumni association, gave welcoming remarks, the show began.

Bustiers were first, and as soon as the first model showcased a blue and yellow piece complete with spiked gloves reminiscent of Wolverine’s original costume, it was clear the category was superhero-themed.

Image: University of the Fraser Valley / Flickr

The final work of UFV’s fashion graduates, including everything from children’s wear to superhero-themed bustiers, was showcased at the grad show.

We saw examples of the students’ work in jackets, coats, and dresses as well as their work with weaving, machine knitting, and draping. Each piece had a unique flair that summed up the “absolute” theme of the show.

One poncho with a distinctly Egyptian feel wowed the crowd as the model spread her arms, revealing wings on the garment.

Another creative knit piece had no sleeves; it was a tube-style dress with openings only for the neck and the feet, but appeared to move comfortably with the model rather than constricting her.

Then came the grad lines.

Courchesne explained to the crowd that on top of completing

other classes, grads of the fashion design program are required to design and create a full line including 30 pieces, of which three complete outfits were featured on the runway.

Michika Hata, designer of Mi Chica, claimed in the program that her line was for young fashionistas who love to express themselves. Her model marched down the runway and pulled her sunglasses down her nose with attitude for a perfect photo opportunity to the adoring laughter of the crowd.

Elva Deng, designer of ED Fashion, presented two long gowns with sheer skirts and black bodices before unveiling an elegant gold piece that glit-

tered as the model moved along the runway. The line was described as luxurious and glamourous, designed around classic silhouettes and classic black and gold colours.

Extempore Street Wear by Jess Evanow featured pieces designed for comfort and the urban professional. Fabrics were lightweight, allowing a lot of movement, while colours focused on neutral tans and steely greys and blues, inspired by popular skateboard brands.

Other lines included equestrian-inspired garments, men’s wear, bohemian style, more formal and professional pieces as well as a modern spin on traditional Korean style, making

the Absolute Fashion show an incredibly diverse display of talent.

To close out the show, awards were given for most technical, most marketable, most creative, and textiles. As well, Megan MacDonald, designer of Gintz Designs and president of the fashion design students association, gave closing remarks, noting the particular skills of all the students. While some had strengths in creative design, others had strengths in drawing and drafting pieces, and others were masters of the machine.

Images: University of the Fraser Valley / Flickr

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CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

Impressions of bill bissett, Simone Jones, Leonard Frank, and more at The Reach ASHLEY MUSSBACHER THE CASCADE

The Reach Gallery and Museum is perfect for an early morning gander. I was the only patron in the building before 10 a.m., and I was grateful for it.

I’m embarrassed to admit I don’t visit art galleries as often as I should. I’m not one of those people who believes when you go to a gallery you must stare at each individual piece for hours on end until your brain turns to mush and drips out your ears.

So, to break the status quo, I walk through a gallery at a leisurely pace, and I don’t stop.

This show was different.

As soon as I entered the gaping mouth of the first room featuring Simone Jones’ multimedia piece All that is solid, I stopped.

Transfixed. The entirety of the 36’-long wooden panel piece pulled me into the fish-eye view of a hallway with floating black and white geometric shapes cascading through the screen.

At first I thought: what gives?

Then, slowly, with the ambience of the unnatural audio echoing through the room, I began to piece it together. Jones questions how we perceive time and space with the fish-eye view. It is a comment on our perception of reality through a digital realm — how more and more we desperately try to perceive what is real through what is not, attempting to bridge the disconnect. But we can’t. Ultimately, we cannot succeed in mixing something that is solid with something that is not.

But we can try.

I moved on even though my mind was still hung up on Jones’ ethereal piece, and was unexpectedly drawn toward MyrtleAnne Rempel’s Passion in Abstract and Oriental Painting in Red, a burst of framed vibrancy.

But it was the 14K gold leaf incorporated into the painting that made me stop again.

Although painted on separate canvases, the two are meant to be viewed with slightly blurred vision as one. I found that even though each painting had a focus

point, if I started at the small gap between them, the softer charms came through the reds and really made the piece dynamic: tiny flecks of blue, white, and green; beads and ripples of texture; a pale sheet of music; some ornate wallpaper.

I had to pull myself away, or I would have stared for hours.

With a dripping brain.

Nearby was more local work from the Fraser Valley Chapter of the Federation of Canadian Artists. Dusk by Janis Eaglesham is a representational landscape painting of a forest at dusk.

What pulled my eye immediately were the birds in flight, and then I noticed the sun. I felt like it was being swallowed by the sky. The night pushes in from above. The shadows beyond the trees wait for the sun to descend.

It’s haunting.

The next in that series that called to me was Out of the Blue

by Suzette Fram. While this painting was reminiscent of cubist work, which I’m not a huge fan of, I loved the dynamic

feel of the colours. I felt like I had been pulled into an ocean, dragged into the deep. Down, down, down with my eyes open.

And yet, I was calm. I could drown and not give a damn.

Bill bissett’s exhibition shared a space with Leonard Frank’s photography exhibition, and I didn’t get much of a chance to walk through before I was dragged across the room to a three-panelled piece titled in first three fools.

It was their eyes. They inspired passion in me like no other painting had. I passionately disliked the three fools. The circles of their eyes horrified me into thinking I was about be sucked through them, only to come out the other side of the wooden panels empty, an emotionless void. I wanted to fill the spaces with my thoughts, but I was scared that it would leave me mindless. But the more I wanted to pull away from them, the stronger the three fools’ grip on me became.

The battle to get away was

messy, and I don’t wish to relive it.

The Reach’s Leonard Frank exhibition was photography pulled purely from archives. Digitizing coordinator Tricia Taylor explained that the gallery still has over 60,000 negatives to be made into digitized photographs for the records.

“Many local people bring their negatives to us to donate,” she said. One photograph she recalled was of a large family with 15 siblings, black and white, which was on display with many other archived images. She explained an elderly couple visited the gallery and pointed out the photograph.

“It had been a part of a collection of photographs the women’s husband had put together as their 25th wedding anniversary, and was later lost to them in a flood many years ago. It was of all her siblings,” Taylor explained. “Of course we gave them a copy of the picture, and I’m sure they had quite the family reunion.”

Image: Ashley Mussbacher

The Reach’s fascinating new exhibit includes photography, collages, and abstract, cubism-inspired paintings — and admission is free.

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CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

Picking the perfect sun hat VALERIE FRANKLIN THE CASCADE

Now that the summer semester is upon us, it’ll only be a few short weeks until it’s time to break out the sun hats.

Slapping a hat on your noggin is a quick fix for a multitude of summer problems: it’ll cover up unwashed roots and bad hair days when it’s just too hot to care about making your bangs lie flat, protect your skin from sunburns and premature aging, help prevent skin cancer — oh yeah, and it’ll look awesome.

From fascinators to Stetsons, hats can lend more character to an outfit than any other article of clothing, and the summer heat gives us the perfect excuse to experiment with new looks in the name of staying cool. Top your boring denim cutoffs and tshirt with a jaunty trilby, or try a floppy felt hat with a maxi skirt and lots of necklaces if you’re into the trendy, retro ‘70s look.

For a touch of Hollywood glamour on a hot day, look for a big, wide-brimmed straw hat à la Audrey Hepburn in Paris When it Sizzles. (Extra points for cat-eye sunglasses and sassy lipstick.)

Watch out for peripheral vision problems with broad brims, though, especially if you’re driving; you want to be able to look good and look around.

For those who prefer a narrower brim on their sun hat, jaunty straw fedoras are a summer staple. However, beware the douchebag look, especially if you’re male — fedoras have gotten a bad rap in recent years as the mark of the sleazy, chauvinistic “nice guy” (thanks, Kevin Federline). Just steer clear of

pairing your fedora with rhinestones and Ed Hardy accessories and you’ll be fine.

If you like clothing that does more than just look nice, canvas sun hats and rugged bush hats are refreshingly practical in the summer — a good choice for the kind of person who would rather go hiking than lounge beside the pool in a bikini. A well-made canvas or cotton hat by brands like Tilley or Outdoor Research can wick moisture away from your head and keep you cool, as well as providing shade for your shoulders and face. They’re not exactly high fashion, but pick a waterproof one with classic, structured lines and it’ll look rugged rather than frumpy.

When looking for a sun hat you can wear through the summer with everything in your wardrobe, opt for a neutral colour like beige, grey, brown, or another light colour that won’t attract much heat to your head. Try out lots of different styles — floppy and structured, broad-brimmed and narrow — and look for a hat with lines and proportions that complement your facial features and build. If you’re tiny, you might drown in a giant, floppy sun hat; try a pixyish cloche or a fedora instead, which will still offer some shade for your face.

If you have a strong profile, look for something with a forward brim that will balance out your features.

Finally, remember that wearing a sun hat doesn’t mean you’re protected from the sun; always take care of yourself and cover up with sunscreen and long sleeves.

Image: Smitty/Flickr

Wicker or straw hats provide the perfect balance between fashion and function for the summer.

Below the Belt

Penises: be glad they’re not on your face LILY LABAMM SEXPERT

Let’s take a moment to talk about the penis.

Isn’t it marvellous? Actually, aside from the overall function, I tend to think it’s a bit ugly. In fact, all genitalia is ugly, female and male. (But I said I’d focus on the penis, and I will. Perhaps I’ll talk about the vagina another day.) Obviously whoever came up with the name “scrotum” must have had similar feelings about the penis. It needs a real design overhaul.

The balls are easy to squish, the scrotum is attracted to zippers, the shaft can be bent the wrong way, and the hair doesn’t help hide anything. If there are any guys reading this, they must be wincing right now, but at least they don’t have this thing on their face.

I once knew a chick who was tea-bagged by her boyfriend. If you don’t know what tea-bagging is, then let me educate you: It’s when a guy slaps his hairy ball sack on your face as a joke.

But it’s not funny. It’s nasty.

Combined with the ugliness of the penis — which, when it’s not erect, looks like a monkey’s nose (the poor thing) — the scrotum, when unwashed for at least

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Poor, poor monkey.

a day, tends to stink. It’s got a sweaty musk to it, mixed with a dash of urine. Totally hot, right?

Wrong.

And then guys wonder why we don’t want to suck it. It’s not cock science. Wash your penis, please. And then maybe, just maybe (provided you have some nice-smelling, sweet-flavoured oral gel) you’ll get a blowjob.

That being said, it’s clear the penis was designed for one function and one function only: sex.

You thought I was going to say “reproduction,” didn’t you? The word reproduction is dry and boring, like the sex you have when reproduction is the only purpose.

The word sex, however, implies pleasure for both partners.

And ultimately the penis is one of the perfect tools for dancing the mattress jig, the beef injection, doing the dirty, the fourlegged frolic, and any other panty-pleasing euphemisms.

You can’t help but admire the slight bend in the shaft all those dildos try to recreate, the popping veins that add to the friction, and the tipped head (depending on circumcision or not) that hits the perfect spot.

Honestly, size doesn’t really matter, as long as he knows how to use it. And wash it.

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CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

Dr. Peter Raabe’s philosophical approach to mental health

Upcoming

Events April 25 – May16 BFA Grad Show

It’s not too late to check out the BFA Grad Show exhibit, featuring the final works of UFV’s largest-ever class of visual arts undergraduates. The exhibit, titled Some Assembly Required, is open to the public on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and can be found on the Abbotsford campus in room B136 and in the art wing of C building. Admission is free.

Don’t miss The Cascade’s coverage of the Grad Show opening reception on page 10!

May 10 Art of Wine festival

Image: UFV Flickr

“What I’m arguing is that there should be a shift in thinking away from the idea that mental illness is a medical problem ... There needs to be a paradigm shift in the way we think of brain and mind.”

NADINE MOEDT THE CASCADE

Peter Raabe is an instructor in UFV’s philosophy department and a philosophical counsellor. He is a prolific writer and advocate for the use of philosophy for mental wellness. His new book, Philosophy’s Role in Counseling and Psychotherapy, pushes for a shift in the way we think about mental illness and discusses philosophy’s role in the new paradigm of mental health.

What is the problem with current views on mental illness?

[My new] book starts with a clarification of the problem in mental health care, which is the conflating or the putting together of the two ideas of mind and brain. I talk about the difference between brain and mind. The brain is a container, an organ just like the liver; it holds things in it. The mind is the content in the container and the mind is propositional. In other words, it’s made up of ideas, thoughts, beliefs, values, problems, fears.

There’s no such thing as something in the mind. The mind is all these things … And that mind is, of course, held in the brain. If the brain is damaged, the mind will stop functioning properly. If the container is damaged, the contents will not stay in the container.

Mental illness is defined by many disciplines, by many professionals, as being “brain problems.” And that’s where the problems start. What I’ve said is: look, mental illness is where the contents of the mind are a problem in themselves. A person’s beliefs, values, and as-

sumptions is what caused the problem. The brain is not what caused the problem; it’s the content itself that is problematic for the person. So that’s where the book starts, is to try to clarify, try to differentiate, and to try to tell people how especially the pharmaceutical companies have been very happy to have you believe that the brain is the same thing as the mind, and then defining mental problems … as brain problems that we can then treat with medication.

What about the medication model of mental illness?

So what you’ve done is you’ve approached mental problems in thinking about life and so on as though they are medical problems ... What the research shows is that medication doesn’t solve mental problems. Medication dulls the brain. All the medication out there — for medication works the same way: it dulls your brain function. You tend to forget or not care about what your problems are in life.

I argue very strongly in my book that there’s no such thing as the medical model for mental illness. Just because you’ve given someone drugs doesn’t mean you’ve approached it in a medical way.

There’s no concept of recovery and cure in mental illnesses.

The belief in the field is that once you have a mental illness, you’re stuck with it for the rest of your life.

What I’m arguing is that there should be a shift in thinking away from the idea that mental illness is a medical problem ...

There needs to be a paradigm shift in the way we think of

brain and mind.

How is philosophical counselling different from talk therapy?

We differ from psychotherapy in the fact that we don’t diagnose and we don’t label. We put ourselves on par with the client; we don’t consider ourselves authority figures.

What I promote in the book is that counsellors and psychotherapists ought to learn philosophy because it will improve what they’re doing already. If you look at history, counselling, especially psychotherapy, came out of the historical background of philosophy. Freud studied philosophy, Jung studied philosophy, Adler and all these people were trained in philosophy. But they developed methods of dealing with people that they then called psychoanalysis and psychotherapy because they didn’t want to be called philosophers, as philosophers had a bad reputation ... for being these navel-gazer sorts of people who were not interested in helping people.

If you’re going to talk with people to resolve problems, the best training you can get for that is philosophy.

Our problem in our society is that when a student wants to become a therapist or a counsellor, they study the methods, the technique, but they don’t study the background behind it ... They’re learning how to do it but they don’t know what it is they’re doing.

What are the problems inherent in labelling and diagnosing?

For one thing, diagnosing people leads the doctor to believe things about you that might not be true. The second thing it does is it makes the person live up to the diagnosis. So if you’re diagnosed with schizophrenia, you’re going to start listening for voices because that’s part of the diagnosis. You’re going to start worrying about the music you hear in your head sometimes; you’re going to think it’s because of your “condition.” The third thing it does is it makes people look at you and assume everything you do or say is part of that. When you spill your coffee, people will say it’s because of your schizophrenia ... There’s a stigma attached.

What is philosophy’s role in mental health?

We can use philosophy to not only treat problems but also prevent them in the first place.

Prevention is about how philosophy and students learning philosophy can actually prevent mental illness in themselves, because they’re going to be better able to think about their problems and issues and sort things out. So I promote the idea of teaching young children philosophy, so that people grow up with the skills and tools to be able to think about stuff better and to avoid those things that are then diagnosed as being mental illnesses.

See pg. 16 for Christopher DeMarcus’ review of Raabe’s book.

Come taste over 50 excellent BC wines from 25 local wineries at the Chilliwack Cultural Centre. Light refreshments will be provided to accompany the wines, and the Stuart Young Trio will provide music. Tickets $45. Proceeds will support the Centre’s arts and crafts programs. Event runs from 7 to 9:30 p.m.

Don’t forget to bring your ID!

May 11 Mother’s Day brunch at Maan Farms Don’t have plans for Mother’s Day yet? Support a local business and spoil your mama by taking her out for brunch in the countryside at Maan Farms on McKenzie Road. Brunch will be served from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Adults $25, seniors $19, and additional discounts for children. Register online at maanfarms.com, where you can also download the brunch menu, or by phone at 604864-5723.

May 14 &15 Peter Pan Abbotsford School of Integrated Arts (ASIA) presents J.M. Barrie’s classic story of Peter Pan on stage at the Abbotsford Arts Centre, starring some of Abbotsford’s best young talent. Tickets only $6; contact ASIA’s school office at 604-859-3101. Babysitting is available by donation for evening performances.

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Film Reviews

The Raid 2 JEREMY HANNAFORD CONTRIBUTOR

Director Gareth Evans displays perverse beauty by way of high-intensity violence. Blood and broken bones are most of his martial arts methods. What separates The Raid 2 from its predecessor is that it has a story that’s as entertaining as the fight scenes.

The Raid 2 picks up right where the first film left off. Rama (Iko Uwais) goes undercover to help take down the corrupt system that killed his men and to protect his family.

While other films of this genre sometimes settle for subpar performances, like Tony Jaa’s recent films, Evans’ films are all personal projects — and The Raid 2 displays his deepest level of commitment yet.

Uwais gives a fantastic performance as Rama, a man under constant threat from both the gangsters he has befriended and the police force looking out for him. The supporting cast also provide engaging performances, though some of the portrayals fall into cliché.

The Raid 2 is just as heavy on dialogue as it is on violence and

it can be draining at times to be barraged with extensive conversations, especially when the film boasts a 150-minute running time. But these moments truly mean something to the characters and the story.

Rama’s story is similar to many of the characters’ in this film. He is merely a pawn among superpowers, and despite his masterful techniques, he has little control over what is evolving around him: the aging traditions,

his yearning for acceptance.

Alex Abbad plays the role of a mastermind spinning an unseen web, building the foundation for an all-out war. He is the true antagonist of the film — his manipulation and diabolic intent make

some of the most interesting moments in the film.

The silat choreography, by Uwais and Yayan Ruhian, is as beautiful as it is intensely gutwrenching. No two sequences are exactly the same; each comes with a unique death-dealing touch. Whether it’s fighting off a whole group of violent inmates inside a single bathroom stall or taking out bodyguards with hammers on a tight subway train, you’ll never feel bored — and thanks to Evans’ shooting style, always have a clear idea of what is going on.

The Raid 2 kicked my ass from the opening scene and I happily enjoyed the beat down. It is a prime example that Hollywood films aren’t the only ones who can make well-made dramatic action flicks. The Raid 2 will be forgotten at the awards ceremonies for its violence, but to pass on such a piece of cinematic entertainment would be a waste.

From the excellent editing to the emotional development to the badass fight scenes, The Raid 2 is one of the best movies I have seen in a long time.

Joe MICHAEL SCOULAR The cascade

David Gordon Green has been linked to a kind of poetic realism — there isn’t much of it in American cinema, and he cuts to osmotic riverbeds, animals resting in the tall grass that seems to surround most of his pictures, and tree outlines sometimes, so why not? But by now, nine(!) films in, it’s apparent that Green isn’t a descendent of Terrence Malick — it’s closer to say Malick is a friend, and Green’s filmmaking method is one that comes out of tying work to creative friendship, high school-level humour, and an appreciation for natural beauty, which shows up in sometimes odd, sometimes paint-by-numbers ways.

Green strives to make movies, not necessarily an elusive great movie, and along the way has disproved a lot of attempts to set him on a creative path (not simply a regional filmmaker, not a painter with light, not a sensitive dramatist).

“Not good,” some critics said, pegging his track record in disarray when he took his lazy, loose sense of conversation (a thin line between that and the Apatow improv floor) to Hollywood, but despite the way it’s easy to pick and choose the similarities that could grant him the status of a minor auteur, his guiding principle is less the cinema than it is the set — Joe, his latest, is his first since Snow Angels to be based around performances that transform after the word “action!” in a more classical sense. His directorial

influence is most noticeable in his casting choices, and the way he guides his often untrained or young actors in ways that reveal an inner idiosyncracy — the language that makes George Washington and All the Real Girls still memorable, but also what allows the diner conversation that ends Pineapple Express to unspool, as actors, who hardly need character names at that point, talk about their favorite parts of the movie they’ve just been in.

Joe is locked into character in a different way. From the moment Nicolas Cage enters the frame, hooded, rain-pelted, managing a forest crew with a “round ‘em up!” the film is set to his pace, which he alters to a near-shamble. He isn’t spry, he’s an alcoholic, and he directs a group of non-union workers in an ersatz version of lumberwork: their job is to funnel poison with hatchet whacks into an area construction projects want treeless. Cage, wearing tattoos and and letting out exhaustion at the end of each shift, is their trust. Joe is their paycheque, but also a leader by charisma, which grows in meaning when a halfbeaten, runaway-headed boy named Gary (Tye Sheridan) asks him for a job.

Green, since his trio of studio comedies, has moved back to Austin, Texas, and Joe’s relation to the local film industry is prominent. Sheridan, after his debut performance in Malick’s The Tree of Life, was cast in Jeff Nichols’ Mud, and in Joe he plays a variant of that movie’s protagonist: his father (Gary Poulter, one of Green’s nonprofessional cast, in a singular,

discomforting performance) hates and uses him, and so he draws near to someone who can be a different, more respectable model. Green is able to make a much better film than Nichols did, even with some of the same ingredients. The first day Gary works on the job, Green, with

regular cinematographer Tim Orr, manages to connect the natural close-ups and broader human characters that have often existed on other sides of a partition in his work. David Wingo’s score hums and draws the meditative work that briefly contents the two main charac-

ters in succinct contrast with the rest of the film’s complicated relations.

It’s easy to guess that Green’s film is adapted from a novel.

Neigbouring characters show up for single, sharply-drawn scenes; main ones cycle through routines; and the film’s pace is deliberately not drawn tight (we see Cage fall asleep to television, and Sheridan walk to and from work). Some of the film’s supporting performances (Austin theatre actor Adriene Mishler as Connie, putting up with Joe’s “I like you too, but what’s the point in any of it”) are given almost, but not quite enough time to live within each character ’s memories, which Green seems to be after. Joe’s turmoil, which Cage displays without ever turning into caricature, is entirely about personal histories, and how he sees Gary’s being written for him. Larry Brown’s book by the same name is related in a sense to the southern gothic tradition, and there are parallels within Green’s own work: his remake of Charles Laughton’s The Night of the Hunter, Undertow, was a rust and pocked earth excursion into inheritance and bloodshed.

It also paled next to its predecessor.

With Joe, Green has not made the perfection of an artistic vision, but continues his work as a director who crosses over between television and film, studio and location, perhaps “less than meets the eye,” but convivial, agreeable, and not about to make a swing for prestige.

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Dine & Dash

Hot Chili House SASHA MOEDT THE CASCADE

#103-33643 Marshall Rd, Abbotsford.

Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 4:00 p.m.

- 9:00 p.m.

Prices: Combo for one: $9.50; menu dishes $9.95 - $16.95 I’ve always been curious about the Hot Chili House. It’s on my way to UFV, on Marshall Road (just before Marshall crosses with McCallum). The place is always dark, with drawn blinds.

It gives off an exclusive and intimidating vibe.

Eventually I made my way there for dinner one night with my boyfriend. When we walked in, we kind of hovered at the door awkwardly like we always do at restaurants, not sure whether to wait to be seated or not. The server — the only staff member we saw all night — told us to sit down in a chiding voice that you’d only hear from your parents. It made me laugh.

I was sorely disappointed with the interior. It was far too normal. It was small, with some nice Chinese paintings and pictures.

The tables were not in booths, so there was nothing in the way of privacy.

The menu was extensive. I’m no Chinese food expert, but the list was very long, organized by meats (beef, chicken, pork, seafood), tofu and vegetarian options, soups, appies, noodles, and rice. We took our time with

Image: Hot Chili House / Facebook

Unlike most restaurants, they weren’t cleverly disguised as not coming out of a box, frozen, and microwaved. They looked like something I could have bought from the frozen appetizer section at Superstore, complete with a plastic package of sauce on the side. And there were only two of them. I guess it was a dinner for two.

The chicken fried rice followed, and it was just as disappointing. I’m not saying it was bad, per say, but it was very, very, mediocre. The chicken was in the white stage of frying, as if they didn’t quite want to crisp it.

The veggies were fine, and the rice was just okay. I really could have made the same thing at home. And I’m not a great cook.

The sweet-and-sour pork wasn’t a good situation either.

The sauce was not sweet or sour, but sort of reminded me of melted red plastic. The pork was dry and had a weird texture — it was very poor-quality meat. The beef chop suey was probably the best part of the meal; it was the only plate that we finished.

All and all, for $21.50, there was a lot of food. Just not really good food. If you’re looking for good Chinese, Hot Chili House is not the place to go.

Located on Marshall Road in Abbotsford, Hot Chili House’s food is unfortunately average at best. the menu. The trouble was that I wanted to try new things, such as Dai Ching vegetable chop suey, Ma-Po tofu Szechuan style, or even pepper chicken, but one dish was rarely under $10. We

ended up ordering a dinner for two — egg rolls, chicken fried rice, sweet-and-sour boneless pork, and beef chop suey.

The server took our order more kindly than she had told

us to sit down, and service was prompt and pleasant from then on, which had to be expected seeing as there was only one other table filled in the place.

The egg rolls came out first.

Book Review

Philosophy’s Role in Counseling and Psychotherapy

by Peter B. Raabe CHRISTOPHER DEMARCUS CONTRIBUTOR

I had trouble sleeping. I’d gained a lot of weight. I hadn’t been feeling myself. At times my work, school, and social life became an unbearable load of busyness. Depression seemed to have set in.

I went to the doctor, hoping to get something to pull me out of it. Help me focus. Adderall would probably do it. I’d taken it before to pull all-nighters at work. The doctor agreed and offered me a script — he’d like me to go to a sleep clinic too, but the choice was up to me.

I opted out of both. I wanted to find the core source of my problem. But I needed the right questions to ask before I could find the right answers.

This is what Peter Raabe’s latest book intends to do: find the best questions to ask about mental illness for the best answers.

But why not reach for books from Freud, Lacan, or the latest saint of critical thinking, Slavoj Žižek? In short, because those thinkers are not accessible to average readers.

Raabe’s work lays down a clear foundation of philosophical psychoanalysis and its benefits for street-level counsellors,

social workers, advisors, parents, and anyone who wishes to understand the basic components of human desire.

At around 400 pages, Philosophy’s Role in Counseling and Psychotherapy is really three books in one. Raabe first explains that mental illness can be a personal existential problem; not a physical disease that requires physical treatment. Depression is not a virus. It’s a symptom that takes place in the mind (consciousness) not the brain (physical structure).

“What is busyness? What is success? Do I need a 4.0 GPA to thrive as a person? Do I want that fourth cup of coffee?”

Using three of his own case studies, Raabe walks us through the act of psychoanalysis with philosophy. The task of the analyst is to propose the right questions to his client, allowing them to come to cathartic revelations through the investigation of themselves. Much like a philosopher ’s Socratic method, this practice gives birth to new

knowledge for the client.

Using my personal example, my depression was caused by life factors. Some were obvious: work, school, and family stress.

But I needed to probe my desires to understand if the stress was something I might have secretly wanted. What is busyness? What is success? Do I need a 4.0 GPA to thrive as a person? Do I want that fourth cup of coffee?

The first step is to find the source of the depression; the next step is to apply it to personal change. In counselling, the examined life is worth living when it helps the subject participate

in society without debilitating suffering. Counselling helps us balance our suffering with our pleasure.

For readers looking for how philosophy can function as a practical tool, this book is a good place to start. Raabe also recommends Think It Through: Reasoning in Everyday Life by Moira Kloster and Anastasia Anderson.

Other books, like Robert Whitaker ’s better known Anatomy of an Epidemic, describe the problem of the medical model, but Raabe’s work stands out with its easy-to-read explanations of philosophy as an analytical tool for mental illness.

One would hope that medical doctors would take the time to ask basic probing questions before handing out a script for powerful psychotropic drugs.

But that’s not what’s happening. Giving us the permission to consume Adrenal is an easier solution than exploring why we think the things we do.

We are imprisoned in a culture of convenience, a society dominated by simple cause and effect reasoning without understanding the origins of mental illness.

Philosophy’s Role in Counseling and Psychotherapy is a critical examination of our dependence on pharmaceutical solutions.

“We are imprisoned in a culture of convenience; a society dominated by simple cause and effect reasoning without understanding the origins of mental illness.”

It helps us understand where mental problems come from and who creates them. It lets us see that the medical model in psychoanalysis can lead to perverse forms of solutionism: we have the drug for that, so you have the disease. It’s time to ask how many mental problems are caused by manufactured desire, not issues with our biological hardware.

If this book has one weakness, it’s that it doesn’t question enough.

See pg. 15 for an interview with Raabe about more of his book’s implications.

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Album Review

Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra — Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light On Everything KODIE CHERRILLE CONTRIBUTOR

Mini Album Reviews

SoundBites

Prior to their 2005 album, Horses in the Sky, Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra played sparse, emotionally wrought and gorgeous post-rock pieces that were more fitting to be heard through headphones than at a live setting.

With Horses in the Sky, however, SMZ made the conscious effort to provide a sound that would translate well live. The album was fantastic, but as the band continued along their trajectory of becoming more like a rock band, they began replacing atmospherics with loudness. The result was 13 Blues for Thirteen Moons and Kollaps Tradixionales — two albums of songs that rocked hard, but felt bloated because of the band’s insistence on taking their time to unfurl their ideas.

One brilliant exception was “I Built Myself a Metal Bird” from Kollaps: a speedy jam (for SMZ standards) that jumped from one sinister riff to another in 7/4, peaking with lead singer Efrim yelping “dance, motherfucker!” over dual tumbling violin lines.

This year ’s Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light on Everything thankfully retains the spirit of that song. It is loud, obnoxious, and brilliantly restless. The four longer songs are lengthy by necessity, and the

two shorter songs provide breathers between the high-energy onslaughts — a method lifted straight from Allelujah!

Don’t Bend! Ascend!, the most recent output by SMZ’s big sister band Godspeed You! Black Emperor.

The highlights of Fuck Off Get Free show off the band’s deft shifts in mood and melody. The first song, “Fuck Off Get Free (For the Island of Montreal),” shifts at the 6:45 mark from an upbeat, sunny singalong to a sluggish stomp, trailing into silence with whispered chants of “pull me under bright water.” “Take Away These Early Grave Blues,” which pairs Efrim’s heaviest guitar tones with soaring, Celticinflected strings, halts in its tracks for a moment, then erupts into a frenzied wall of melody — a Sonic Youth freak-out with two guitars swapped for amplified violins — before returning to land with the main riff of the song.

As impressive as these songs are, “Austerity Blues” wins out as the most compositionally tight piece here. Upstrokes on an acoustic guitar are intruded upon by an evil, buzzing guitar that could easily be mistaken for an approaching electric storm. The rest of the band kicks in gently nonetheless as the guitar fades out. It intrudes again, but the rest of the band plays around its ferocious wash of noise, which acts as a propulsive counter-

point. Suddenly the cymbals crash down, and the violins, bass, and guitars jovially toss high-pitched lyric lines like strings of bright confetti.

All this happens within three minutes.

The 11 minutes that follow it up continue to display a breathtaking range of sounds and styles, moving from a motorik beatdriven jam to an intense crescendo dominated by the mantra “Lord, let my son live long enough to see that mountain torn down,” finishing with a drone that sounds as bright as the gold-tinged explosion of light on Fuck Off Get Free’s album art. Where they once stretched a small handful of melodies, lyrics, and motifs to

10-plus minutes in length, they now masterfully juggle whatever they find in their smorgasbord of styles, making the song feel drastically shorter than 14 minutes.

One complaint can be made, however, about the band’s treatment of the gentler tunes. In comparison to the mammoth, noisy opuses, “Little Ones Run” and “Rains Thru the Roof at the Grande Ballroom (for Capital Steez)” feel insignificant. As they stand now, the two songs border the emotional centrepiece, “What We Loved Was Not Enough:” where that song is fully-formed, moving from gentle, plucked strings to blast beat-driven peaks, these two are quick and flat, employing a minimal volume range and — especially in the case of “Grande Ballroom” — feel like they are the beginnings to beautiful, more pensive suites. Instead, both songs quickly peter off into silence.

That being said, Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light on Everything has proven that the band’s movement into louder, more visceral music was indeed the right thing to do. The album’s quality of music — as well as its sheer volume — will give it a unique place in their discography, where it once looked like quieter (and sadder) meant better. I am glad to say I was wrong. Turn it up to 11, and let “Austerity Blues” blast you into joyful oblivion.

Ramona Lisa Arcadia

Little Comets The Gentle

Augustines Augustines

Arcadia isn’t going to make you happy. Straight up in the first track, “Arcadia,” I felt like I was trapped on a drifting spaceship. You know the feeling. It’s the gothic combination of buzzing electronic feedback, clanging tower bells, and dramatic vocals that gives you a slightly paranoid, eerie feeling. Arcadia is the debut solo album from Caroline Polachek (under the name Ramona Lisa), who hearkens from indie band Chairlift, and it leaves an impression. It’s as though Polechek is testing her musical ability, here, there, and everywhere, and the one thing she’s sure of is her beautiful falsetto, fading in and out of each track. Strongest tracks are “Arcadia” (give yourself a few listens and you’ll get off the drifting spaceship), “Backwards and Upwards,” (a hard electronic track complemented by Polachek’s powerful voice), “Lady’s Got Gills,” and — probably the happiest song on the track — “Dominic.”

Listen to this album loud, and let it echo.

Released earlier this year, British indie trio Little Comets’ The Gentle is consistent with the band’s previously established trend of doling out catchy indie-pop intermingled with some of the most hauntingly beautiful, slower-paced tracks I’ve ever heard. Comprised of only four tracks, The Gentle doesn’t miss a beat, delivering a flawless line-up of songs that serve as an aperitif to Little Comets’ unique sound. The only two moderately fast-paced songs on this record are “Coalition of One” and “Little Italy,” both held up by lead vocalist Robert Coles’ incredibly passionate voice. The most striking song on this record is “The Blur, the Line and the Thickest of Onions.” Slowly and confidently, the song speaks out against misogyny and rape culture in modern society. Little Comets are the first band in the genre I’ve seen broach a theme like this in their music, and the song is also musically sublime. Both “The Blur…” and “Early Retirement,” the last song on the record, highlight Coles’ ability to hypnotize the listener with his beautifully delicate, yet concretely powerful vocals. This is an indie band that demonstrates not only musical ability, but lyrical and vocal supremacy over their contemporaries.

Augustines have evolved through two vastly different cities, Brooklyn and Seattle. While it nearly didn’t happen as the band struggled through an era of turbulence, their self-titled sophomore album is an accomplishment on many fronts. With a run time of just less than 45 minutes and 12 tracks, Augustines is consistent throughout with raw emotion, thick atmosphere, and strong guitar and drums. While there are resemblances to a number of bands, such as Future Islands, The Gaslight Anthem, and The National, Augustines have their own sound. The album starts off with a very pared-down intro track, essentially a showcase of vocals with a pendulum-like backdrop. That’s followed by “Cruel City,” which really grabs with a great hook and is the first single. “Weary Eyes” is poised to follow as the second single with its slightly more melodic chorus. The biggest change-up is “Walkabout,” which begins with quiet vocals only to pick up and drive with anthemic proportions. There are no individual tracks that position this album to be one of the quintessential works of the year. This is just a very well-developed album. In particular, “Kid You’re on Your Own” holds a special place with me.

sASHA MOEDT

martin castro

Joe JOHNSON

Put on your headphones; we want your thoughts on new music.

Pop into the Cascade offices in C1027 for a free album to review, or email arts@ufvcascade.ca for more information!

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Cascade Arcade

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 swings with routine Shuffle

CHARTS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Weed Deserve

AARON LEVY

CIVL STATION MANAGER

Mac DeMarco Salad Days

CIVL Station Manager Aaron Levy wants to invite you to enjoy this summer semester at UFV! Try to use these songs to make it easier!

Shonen Knife Overdrive

Maylee Todd Sounds”

Shearing Pinx Infinite Siblings 3

Teledrome Teledrome

Girls — “Summertime”

OOIOO Gamel

This song takes the bulk of its running time to get started over a chorus-drenched guitar strum pattern that frolics in the field like memories from your fancy-free youth; and that’s what it’s about. “Summertime, soak up the sunshine with you.” Disclaimer: it does include a drug reference.

Various PIXXX4 Cool Paint Role Mach Holy Shades of Night

Soft Serve Sink Deep Autechre L-Event

L.F.O. — “Summer Girls” New Kids on the Block did have a bunch of hits, and as a child, I did struggle with bathroom visits after ingesting any significant amount of buffet Chinese food. I can’t speak about this song’s subject matter beyond these touchstones.

My own youth was not filled with teenage philandering.

Refused — “Summer Holidays vs. Punk Routine”

The Ketamines 11:11

The Binz How to Freak out Responsibly About the Rise of the Robots

15 16 17

Bend Sinister Animals

It’s a funny title when you think about it. Any punk-related experiences I had in high school were certainly based on my summer holidays, or the early freedom of games like hooky and truancy.

“Rather be forgotten than remembered for giving in.” Maybe I missed the point.

Two Hours Traffic — “Stuck for the Summer”

Tough Age Tough Age

I’m morbidly reminded of this song as we see helicopters circling overhead today at UFV. It’s an upbeat number, but unfortunately, the Two Hours Traffic on Highway 1 for this evening’s rush-hour crowd is nothing to be excited about. Look both ways before crossing, and use walkways where possible.

Perfect Pussy I Have Lost All Desire For Feeling Warpaint Warpaint Eiko Ishibashi Car & Freezer Said The Whale Hawaiii

“Summer

It’s a quick, airy little ditty, but it does the trick. The breezy wisp of soft strums and plucks that make up the chord structure of this almost intermission-worthy track from the Choose Your Own Adventure debut for Maylee Todd is perfect for sitting back, relaxing, and cracking open those books.

Fountain Fountain

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JEREMY HANNAFORD contributor

When many think of Activision, they think of Call of Duty games shelved out like no tomorrow, or the Guitar Hero series that fell into serious decline under the publisher ’s watch. But unbeknownst to many, Activision’s longest-running series is actually Spider-Man! Activision acquired the rights to the web-slinging hero back in 2000, and released a self-titled debut in the dying days of the N64. But it was when they made a tie-in to the Sam Raimi film in 2002 the ball truly started rolling. And it has never stopped, no matter how mediocre the games have become.

One thing that has always been consistent in the SpiderMan games is that web-slinging through New York City is a blast. Even when the Spider-Man 2 film-based game incorporated the mechanics of having to actually connect the webbings to buildings, the airborne art never lost its appeal. But it could always use improvement. That’s exactly what The Amazing Spider-Man 2 does. Connection is key for web-slinging, and the idea of having the controller ’s triggers represent each arm is a nice touch. But just like the rest of other Spider-Man games, the fun ends there.

Movie-based games are easy subjects for criticism. Sometimes it is well deserved; certain titles

are just plain garbage. But most of the time, it is due to small development windows that these games suffer. The most refined games are given several years of production time. Movie-based titles are barely given a year and a much smaller and less experienced team to develop them.

This is why the fad of games tying in with films has almost faded from existence. Aside from random tablet or iPhone releases, there really aren’t many games of the genre anymore. The only company willing to ship them out is Activision, because if there is any chance that a poorly developed game can make a profit, CEO Robert Kotick will see it done.

A great example of a developer breaking under the stress was the highly regarded High Moon Studios, (unfortunately owned

by Activision). After they released the well-received War for Cybertron, they were tasked with making a tie-in game for Dark of the Moon in less than seven months. The result was still playable, but the strains of short development time showed.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 similarly suffers from repetitive missions and lame story lines.

The combat system is almost entirely composed of spamming the attack button. The combat feigns the idea of variation by incorporating different attack animations, but those become repetitive very quickly.

The lacklustre combat and story are commonplace issues

amongst all of the Spider-Man games. Even with the intriguing multidimensional aspect of Shattered Dimensions, the narratives of Spider-Man games have always been weak. The initial concepts may sound intriguing on paper, but they always fall short in the execution. The creators substitute numerous character appearances for wellpaced storytelling.

Incorporating numerous villains who have nothing to do with the actual story is fun for about five minutes before they become a bland letdown. The same happens here in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, except with even less flair than before. For example, where the voice acting in Spider-Man 3 was entertaining considering it had the voices from the official film, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 seems to have acquired every discount joke voice actor in the phone book.

The lack of convincing delivery cements the hammy feel.

The Spider-Man games could be great if they were developed by studios that have decent experience with making superhero games. If a developer like Rocksteady were able to deliver a Spider-Man experience on the same level of the Arkham games, it would be exactly what the series needs. Otherwise, we’ll still get the same great web-slinging experience along with all the same tired problems.

20

SPORTS & HEALTH

WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

Naturopaths may be an alternative, but they’re far from the only answer BRITTNEY HENSMAN THE CASCADE

While naturopathic practices are having a resurgence in our society, many people are skeptical about receiving medical help from practitioners.

A naturopathic doctor (ND) is a medical credential like a medical doctor (MD). To be a licensed ND requires a four-year graduate degree from a medical institution like Bastyr University in Washington or the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. Both these universities offer two well-known accredited ND programs.

A naturopath holds the philosophy that the body needs to be treated as a whole, not simply by treating the symptoms as separate entities like you might experience at a walk-in clinic.

When your body suffers from a symptom, there is a deeper root to the problem. An ND takes the symptom and traces it to the root of the issue. To start he or she will observe the patient’s external state.

I have had the priviledge of working for a naturopath in the past and presently. A naturopath can tell a lot about a person’s condition by looking at a

Image: ouhos OU History of Science Collection / Flickr

“Knowing as much about your own body and having good questions prepared can be an asset.” patient’s tongue through their trained eye, gauging the level of its redness and how swollen it is, which can indicate problems such as stress and fatigue.

They also use other methods like pressing down on a stomach to feel around the liver — it is positioned correctly? Is it twisted?

Is it painful? Furthermore, they ask questions about how the patient reacts to certain things —

for example, eczema or a rash — which can indicate an allergy.

Naturopaths use homeopathic remedies — supplements that contain natural herbs, plant extracts, vitamins, and minerals, in higher dosages than those in our food and drugstore vitamins. An ND also looks at a patient’s diet, stress level, dental condition, and emotional health in trying to treat the root problem, working

by process of elimination. There is never a quick and easy fix to the problem, but naturopaths focus on taking the proper steps to discover and get rid of the deeper cause creating the issues.

People can be skeptical toward naturopathic doctors because they go into the appointment with certain expectations. The first reaction to a health situation is often an emotional one, but

it’s important to reason through medical experiences. Instead of swinging from one extreme to the next (whether believing the friend who knows a remedy that worked so well they’d bet their life on its usage or the one doctor ’s visit that casts a dark shadow on everything), remember what works for one person, doctor, or patient, may not work for the other.

Also, you’ve got to put in some work. Knowing as much about your own body and having good questions prepared prior to any appointment, be it a naturopath or medical doctor, will be an asset to a speedy and efficient recovery and prevention for the future. There are many preventative measures you can take before reaching the point where you need to book in to see “the Doc,” so ask yourself questions: Have I had enough water? Am I over-tired? Am I eating balanced meals? Just like you should carefully consider where to go with any health questions, you should be asking some questions of yourself.

The curious deposit of snow at the bottom left of the Abbotsford Centre perimeter might be the last proof there ever was a hockey team that called the “state-of-the-art” arena home. The City of Abbotsford used the mid-way point of its 10-year contract with the Abbotsford Heat to pay half the estimated losses the city would have needed to pay over five years ($5.5 million), releasing both parties from the deal. The Heat, Calgary’s AHL affiliate, will move to Glens Falls, New York, the former home of the league’s Adirondack franchise, and the Abbotsford Centre will be without a primary tenant for the forseeable future. The arena, once thought to be a draw to the city, will be a source of debate until the day it reaches the potential Abbotsford voters were promised when the project went to referendum. The Cascade will cover this story as it develops.